1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"When Facebook Is Your Medical Record" by Jordan Lite.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Published online Oct. 14, 2010, and in the November-December 2010 print issue of Miller-McCune magazine.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Accumulating research demonstrates that information users post on social-networking sites accurately reflects their real-life behaviors, such as sexual activity and possibly mood, violence, alcohol and substance abuse. The findings raise ethical dilemmas about whether and how that information should be utilized by health-care providers.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Medical studies from peer-reviewed journals via PubMed, statistics from Pew Research Center, NIH funding information from NIH RePORTER query system.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Multiple interviews with study authors, government officials, physician-critics and social-networking site spokespersons.
6. Results (if any).
Journalist interview on New Hampshire Public Radio's "Word of Mouth" program.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections, clarifications or challenges.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
When writing about ethically charged and complex research, really take the time to understand a scientist's objectives and methods. It will pay off in your analysis.