The impact of socio-demographic factors on web credibility assessment

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between web credibility evaluation and socio-demographic variables. A sample of 380 students from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, was selected using stratified sampling methods. Data was collected through a questionnaire encompassing socio-demographic information and Choi items. The collected data was analysed using Spearman and Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests, guided by the data's characteristics (type and distribution). The findings reveal a significant association between interest, experience and academic level in determining web credibility assessments. Conversely, expertise, income, gender and age were not found to be influential factors. This is a first attempt to determine the impact of socio-demographic variables on web credibility assessment. The findings suggest that individuals from diverse age, gender and income groups could benefit from acquiring knowledge pertaining to web credibility and engaging in workshops related to this domain. Additionally, those with lower levels of experience, education and interest may derive greater value from participating in web-credibility-evaluation workshops.