Evaluating Internet resources: Identity, affiliation, and cognitive authority in a networked world

Fritch, John; Cromwell, R. L.

doi:10.1002/asi.1081.abs

Cited by 24 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…Two other models also recognize the iterative nature of credibility assessment. These are the cognitive authority model [2] and Wathen and Burkell's model [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the cognitive authority model, the information seeker iteratively assesses the authority and credibility of online content by considering the author, document, institution and affiliations [2]. These are integrated into a credibility judgement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the digital age, anyone can be an author of online content. Digital information and content can be published anonymously, and easily plagiarized and altered [1,2]. Online news platforms are in a continual race against time to be the first to publish online, and in the process they sacrifice quality control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, scholars in information literacy have developed checklists to assist users in assessing the credibility of online information, as well as various theories and models to describe how users evaluate information in practice [2][3][4][5]. These models highlight aspects such as the influence of the subjectivity of the user in evaluating content, the process of evaluation as well as the cognitive heuristics that users typically apply during evaluation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How Can Critical Thinking Be Used to Assess the Credibility of Online Information?

Zyl¹,

Turpin²,

Matthee³

2020

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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The prevalence of unverified information on the internet and the associated potential adverse effect on society led to the development of a number of models and theories to assess the credibility of online information. Existing research consists of two diverse approaches: the first consists of checklist approaches or normative guidelines on how to assess the information whereas the second provides descriptive models and theories of how users actually go about when assessing credibility. The above mentioned approaches consider aspects related to the presentation and content of the information. However, the reasoning in the content is not a concern that is covered in these approaches. Critical thinking is considered an increasingly important 21st century work place skill. This paper investigates the potential value of using critical thinking in assessing the credibility of online information. The paper commences with an overview of existing approaches for assessing the credibility of online information. It then argues that the presence of a well-developed argument in online information to be an indication of credibility. Critical thinking also helps to evaluate the credibility of evidence. These thinking skills can be developed through training. It is shown how a group of first year Information Systems students were able to more critically engage with the content of online news after a course on critical thinking. This paper contributes to the literature on the assessment of the credibility of online information.

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“…Two other models also recognize the iterative nature of credibility assessment. These are the cognitive authority model [2] and Wathen and Burkell's model [16].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

How Can Critical Thinking Be Used to Assess the Credibility of Online Information?

Zyl¹,

Turpin²,

Matthee³

2020

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To help information searchers to detect valuable information and identify possible errors and biases, Metzger () proposes two approaches: Providing information consumers with instructions of how to systematically evaluate Internet content themselves. Many good proposals exist for how this can be done through lists of review criteria and score sheets (for example, Fritch & Cromwell, ; Meola, ; Metzger, Flanagin, & Zwarun, ). In general, however, Metzger () regards these review sheets as too labor‐intensive for motivating users to use them well and these review sheets also are often too complex to be used. Alternatively, Metzger () proposes to invest in the development of intermediaries on the Internet that can deliver independent quality seals, credibility ratings, directories, and search engines that deliver preapproved and filtered data, and digital signatures to help information consumers avoid running into poor‐quality information. A third approach is the focus here, which has been touched on marginally by Metzger, and involves delivering tools by which information consumers can evaluate Internet content in an efficient and partially automated way themselves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Internet information triangulation: Design theory and prototype evaluation

Wijnhoven

Brinkhuis

2014

Asso for Info Science & Tech

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Many discussions exist regarding the credibility of information on the Internet. Similar discussions happen on the interpretation of social scientific research data, for which information triangulation has been proposed as a useful method. In this article, we explore a design theory-consisting of a kernel theory, metarequirements, and meta-designs-for software and services that triangulate Internet information. The kernel theory identifies 5 triangulation methods based on Churchman's inquiring systems theory and related meta-requirements. These meta-requirements are used to search for existing software and services that contain design features for Internet information triangulation tools. We discuss a prototyping study of the use of an information triangulator among 72 college students and how their use contributes to their opinion formation. From these findings, we conclude that triangulation tools can contribute to opinion formation by information consumers, especially when the tool is not a mere fact checker but includes the search and delivery of alternative views. Finally, we discuss other empirical propositions and design propositions for an agenda for triangulator developers and researchers. In particular, we propose investment in theory triangulation, that is, tools to automatically detect ethically and theoretically alternative information and views.

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Credibility: A multidisciplinary framework

Rieh

Danielson

2007

Annual Review Info Sci & Tec

274

218

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IntroductionThis chapter reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the concept of credibility and its areas of application relevant to information science and technology, encompassing several disciplinary approaches. An information seeker's environment-the Internet, television, newspapers, schools, libraries, bookstores, and social networks-abounds with information resources that need to be evaluated for both their usefulness and their likely level of accuracy. As people gain access to a wider variety of information resources, they face greater uncertainty regarding who and what can be believed and, indeed, who or what is responsible for the information they encounter. Moreover, they have to develop new skills and strategies for determining how to assess the credibility of an information source. Historically, the credibility of information has been maintained largely by professional knowledge workers such as editors, reviewers, publishers, news reporters, and librarians. Today, quality control mechanisms are evolving in such a way that a vast amount of information accessed through a wide variety of systems and resources is out of date, incomplete, poorly organized, or simply inaccurate (Janes & Rosenfeld, 1996).Credibility has been examined across a number of fields ranging from communication, information science, psychology, marketing, and the management sciences to interdisciplinary efforts in human-computer interaction (HCI). Each field has examined the construct and its practical significance using fundamentally different approaches, goals, and presuppositions, all of which results in conflicting views of credibility and its effects. The notion of credibility has been discussed at least since Aristotle's examination of ethos and his observations of speakers' relative abilities to persuade listeners. Disciplinary approaches to investigating credibility systematically developed only in the last century, beginning within the field of communication.

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Evaluating Internet resources: Identity, affiliation, and cognitive authority in a networked world

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

How Can Critical Thinking Be Used to Assess the Credibility of Online Information?

How Can Critical Thinking Be Used to Assess the Credibility of Online Information?

Internet information triangulation: Design theory and prototype evaluation

Credibility: A multidisciplinary framework

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