Inaccurate information, in the field of library and information science, is often regarded as a problem that needs to be corrected or simply understood as either misinformation or disinformation without further consideration. Misinformation and disinformation, however, may cause significant problems for users in online environments, where they are constantly exposed to an abundance of inaccurate and/or misleading information. This paper aims to establish conceptual groundwork for future empirical research by examining the relationships among information, misinformation, and disinformation. Our analysis extends to a discussion of cues to deception, as means for detecting misinformation and disinformation. We argue that misinformation and disinformation are related yet distinct sub-categories of information. Misinformation is a multifaceted concept, more complex than simply being inaccurate or incomplete, and disinformation does not always entail misinformation. We conclude our discussion by highlighting the significant roles of context and time in defining misinformation and disinformation.
Digital games are saturated with information. Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMOs) require players to collect, organize, manage, and interpret vast volumes and varieties of information in a distributed, networked environment. Yet, they often provide players insufficient tools to effectively accomplish these information tasks. In response, some members of the player community build modifications (mods) and addons to the game software. Mods and addons usefully and creatively address some problems of utilizing information in digital environments; by analyzing them, we can gain insights into possibilities for organizing information in digital environments.
This poster addresses the issue of avatar transparency in virtual worlds, and its relationship to the establishment of trustworthiness. Preliminary analysis of interviews with Second Life® users offers insights on this topic. The authors describe the tension between anonymity and trust in participant contexts, and suggest a framework for describing avatar transparency and trust issues.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.