Towards dissemination, detection and combating misinformation on social media: a literature review

Abstract

PurposeSocial media is becoming a hub of fake content, be it political news, product reviews, business promotion or any other sociocultural event. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the emerging literature to advance an understanding of misinformation on social media platforms, which is a growing concern these days.Design/methodology/approachThe authors curate and synthesize the dispersed knowledge about misinformation on social media by conducting a systematic literature review based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses framework. The search strategy resulted in 446 research articles, out of which 33 relevant articles were identified for this research.FindingsMisinformation on social media spreads swiftly and may result in negative consequences. This review identifies 13 intrinsic predictors of the dissemination, 11 detection approaches and 10 ways to combat misinformation on social media.Originality/valueThe study adds to the present knowledge of spread and detection of misinformation on social media. The results of this study will be beneficial for researchers and practitioners and help them in mitigating the harmful consequences of the spread of misinformation.