How reliable is Harvard Health Publishing as a source for research or essays?
I've seen a lot of articles from Harvard Health Publishing pop up when I'm looking for medical info for school papers or even reading things for personal interest. But I'm not sure if my teachers would consider using this website as a solid academic source or if it counts like a real science journal.
Does anyone know how trustworthy Harvard Health Publishing actually is? Has anyone here cited them in assignments, and did your teachers or professors have any issues with it? Just want to make sure I'm using sources that won't hurt my grade, especially since I might reference some for upcoming AP Bio projects.
Would love to hear your experiences or advice on where it stands compared to other health sites.
Does anyone know how trustworthy Harvard Health Publishing actually is? Has anyone here cited them in assignments, and did your teachers or professors have any issues with it? Just want to make sure I'm using sources that won't hurt my grade, especially since I might reference some for upcoming AP Bio projects.
Would love to hear your experiences or advice on where it stands compared to other health sites.
1 week ago
•
32 views
Luis Nario-Malberg
• 1 week ago
Advisor
Harvard Health Publishing is associated with Harvard Medical School and produces a lot of useful, well-researched health information aimed at the general public. It’s considered a reputable and trustworthy source for understanding complex topics in accessible language, and the articles are reviewed by qualified medical professionals, which lends them credibility.
However, it is important to realize that Harvard Health Publishing is not a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Most of its articles are summaries, commentary, or news based on original research rather than original research themselves. For high school research assignments, many teachers find it acceptable to use Harvard Health Publishing as a reliable source, especially for background, explanations, or recent findings on general health topics. I’ve used Harvard Health articles in AP-level and introductory college classes, and while teachers were fine with it for giving context or explaining a concept, they typically encouraged also citing primary research articles or peer-reviewed papers for detailed scientific evidence or when discussing specific experimental results.
For example, if you’re writing a paper on the benefits of sleep, referencing a Harvard Health article is a good way to introduce the topic or summarize expert consensus. But if your project requires detailed analysis of a study (such as the methodology or data from a recent experiment) it’s best to find and cite the original research article, which you can usually access through databases like PubMed or your school’s library. If your teacher is strict about primary sources, you can use Harvard Health as a secondary/corroborating source, but rely on original science journals for your main evidence.
In short, Harvard Health Publishing is reliable for general information and overviews but should be supplemented with scientific journal articles for serious research projects. When in doubt, ask your teacher their preference ahead of time. Compared to many health websites, especially those lacking clear authorship or institutional backing, Harvard Health stands out as credible, but it's always good to build your references list on multiple types of sources.
However, it is important to realize that Harvard Health Publishing is not a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Most of its articles are summaries, commentary, or news based on original research rather than original research themselves. For high school research assignments, many teachers find it acceptable to use Harvard Health Publishing as a reliable source, especially for background, explanations, or recent findings on general health topics. I’ve used Harvard Health articles in AP-level and introductory college classes, and while teachers were fine with it for giving context or explaining a concept, they typically encouraged also citing primary research articles or peer-reviewed papers for detailed scientific evidence or when discussing specific experimental results.
For example, if you’re writing a paper on the benefits of sleep, referencing a Harvard Health article is a good way to introduce the topic or summarize expert consensus. But if your project requires detailed analysis of a study (such as the methodology or data from a recent experiment) it’s best to find and cite the original research article, which you can usually access through databases like PubMed or your school’s library. If your teacher is strict about primary sources, you can use Harvard Health as a secondary/corroborating source, but rely on original science journals for your main evidence.
In short, Harvard Health Publishing is reliable for general information and overviews but should be supplemented with scientific journal articles for serious research projects. When in doubt, ask your teacher their preference ahead of time. Compared to many health websites, especially those lacking clear authorship or institutional backing, Harvard Health stands out as credible, but it's always good to build your references list on multiple types of sources.
Luis Nario-Malberg
Mooresville, North Carolina
Harvard College, Class of 2018, A.B. in Philosophy
Experience
5 years