Source Credibility Research Articles

The Russia-Ukraine War: An Exploratory Study into the Potential Impact of Cyber Warfare on Asymmetric War Efforts

Purpose: The war in Ukraine brought attention to “new” tactics on the battlefield—namely cyber warfare. It is attracting increased attention from media and civilians, enabling civilians from countries outside of Ukraine to help fight for Ukraine. The impact of cyber warfare on kinetic war efforts is not well understood. Methodology: Secondary data were collected, which included verified reports of cyber interventions in support of either party to the Russian-Ukraine war. Various cyber interventions are discussed in terms of the type of intervention, modus operandi, and potential effect. All data have been published in English by credible sources. The effect of cyber interventions will be analysed to determine their potential impact on states that are party to an asymmetrical war. Findings: Cyber warfare can potentially act as a force multiplier in kinetic efforts through actionable intelligence collected. Currently, the effect of cyber warfare seems to be negligible, as neither party to the Russian-Ukraine war effort has achieved its political ideologies. In fact, the use of drones has brought about an escalation in violence. Implications: A better understanding of cyber interventions and more effective application of these in a kinetic war could potentially aid a nation-state in achieving its ideological objectives faster, thereby reducing the intensity of the negative socioeconomic impact on nation-states not party to the conflict. Current scholarly debates about cyber warfare view the impact of cyber interventions in a kinetic effort as negligible. This article will point to a linchpin that could change the current opinion of scholars.

Silicon‐based Life or Carbon‐based Life? An Exploratory Study on Visual Information Source Selection of Blind or Visually Impaired Persons

ABSTRACTThe development of generative AI and Large Visual‐Language Models, has the potential to overcome the reliance of blind or visually impaired (BVI) persons on human sources for visual information. Action research and semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 19 BVI persons to explore their visual information needs and source selection. This study categorizes their needs into description, navigation, and manipulation. Accessibility, credibility, and interactivity of information sources are the primary criteria for BVI persons in information source selection. When visual task demand high accurate information, BVI persons are more likely to select human information sources due to their accessibility and credibility. When tasks are less urgent and requiring less accuracy information, the use of AI information sources increases due to the special accessibility. The purpose of the study is to understand the impact of AI on BVI persons, and provide theoretical and practical insights for the development of human‐centered AI.

Health Advice from Instagram Influencers on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Their Strategies to Establish and Manipulate Credibility

ABSTRACTIndividuals with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) turn to Instagram influencers as an alternative or complementary PCOS information source to their physicians. However, the ambiguous qualifications of influencers, and contradicting claims regarding how to manage PCOS, make it difficult to identify credible sources. Using a directed qualitative content analysis, we examined the range of strategies that 10 Instagram PCOS influencers used to signal credibility. We found that influencers utilized a range of pseudo‐credibility strategies. Another key contribution of the study is a description of how PCOS influencers reference sources to signal credibility. We also found that Instagram PCOS influencers discuss what it means to be healthy with PCOS, and we describe how they contribute to a wider cultural participation in healthism. The findings build upon the source credibility literature to identify novel credibility cues used by influencers as social media platforms evolve, and further, reveal the underlying healthism‐centric discourse of PCOS influencers.

Navigating Ghana's economic waters: Exploring the impact of Fiscal and Monetary policies on stock market performance

This study leverages the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Exponential Generalized Conditional Heteroscedasticity (EGARCH) models to conduct a thorough examination of the impact of fiscal and monetary policies on the Ghanaian stock market from 1990 to 2022. Key findings indicate that government spending and tax revenue, as components of fiscal policy, are positively associated with stock returns, contrasting with the negative influence of the industrial production index. On the monetary policy front, interest rates are found to negatively affect stock performance, while exchange rates and the money supply exert positive influences. In the short term, government spending enhances stock returns, although the effects of GDP and the industrial production index are inconsistent, with exchange rates and money supply demonstrating a negative impact. The study underscores the profound sway that policy decisions have on stock market dynamics, underscoring an urgent need for investors and policymakers to closely monitor policy shifts and their market reverberations. A pivotal policy recommendation emerging from this research is the strategic synchronization of fiscal and monetary policies by policymakers to underpin stock market stability and growth. Such harmonization can counteract the adverse effects of policy-induced volatility, cultivating an investment-friendly climate. Investors and policymakers are encouraged to draw upon a spectrum of credible sources, encompassing financial news, governmental releases, and market analyses, to remain abreast of policy evolutions. This research offers precious perspectives on the nexus between economic policies and market movements, offering value for academic inquiry and informing practical decision-making strategies.

Using Positionality to Address Student Bias in Information Seeking

ABSTRACTWhile participating in the information search process, students are instructed to choose credible sources for their research. They often interpret this imperative as simply avoiding bias in the sources they choose. Unfortunately, students misunderstand bias and fail to recognize its significance in the scholarly conversation. One way librarians can help with this misunderstanding is by engaging with theoretical concepts such as positionality theory. Positionality theory offers librarians a way to examine bias's function in the research process in order to teach students about its complexity.While bias and positionality are concepts that have been explored in information literacy research, most research does not address them as related topics. This poster explores notions of bias, positionality theory, and strategies to employ that will help librarians use this theory to address student misunderstandings around questions of bias and credibility. This new understanding helps students determine their own positionality when approaching information searching.

The Role of Nutrition in Maintaining the Health and Physical Condition of Sports Volunteers.

Nutrition plays a key role in maintaining health and physical condition, particularly for active individuals, including athletes. It can therefore be assumed that individuals performing physically demanding tasks during the organization of sporting events, such as volunteers, should also pay attention to their nutrition. While the importance of diet for athletes has been widely studied, the impact of nutrition on sports volunteers remains under-researched. Volunteers often have to cope with varying degrees of physical and mental exertion, which may affect their nutritional needs. A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth individual interviews (IDIs) with 17 sports volunteers who had experience in organizing various sporting events. Participants were purposefully selected based on specific inclusion criteria, which included active involvement in sports volunteering (with a minimum of two years of experience in volunteer activities) as well as volunteering experience at sports events of various scales. The interviews aimed to understand the eating habits, dietary awareness, and impact of nutrition on health and physical fitness. The data were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis, focusing on coding responses and identifying recurring themes. Most participants did not place much importance on their diet, making random food choices due to a busy lifestyle and lack of time. Only a few volunteers consciously adjusted their diet when they had knowledge of the physically demanding tasks they were expected to perform during their volunteer work. The majority of volunteers relied on less reliable sources of nutritional information, such as blogs or social media, rather than credible sources of knowledge. This study revealed that many individuals involved in sports volunteering are unaware of the impact of diet on their fitness and health. There is a need for nutritional education for this group to improve their awareness of the importance of a balanced diet in the context of increased physical activity. It is also advisable to provide better nutritional conditions during sporting events and to promote the use of professional sources of information about healthy eating.

Healthy from the Start: Co-Designing Sleep, Nutrition and Physical Activity Resources for Young Shiftworkers-Novel Implementation and Evaluation.

The increasing prevalence of shiftwork among young adults poses significant health risks, primarily due to its disruptive effects on sleep, nutrition and physical activity. Addressing these risks necessitates the development of tailored, evidence-based resources to support these key health behaviours. Participatory research approaches, engaging those with relevant lived experience (i.e., co-design) are a novel and effective approach in developing these resources. As such, the aim of the present study was to explore whether sleep, nutrition and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers could be developed using participatory, co-design approaches and how co-designers would rate both the approaches used and the resulting resources. A participatory approach engaged co-designers (young, experienced or previous shiftworkers; workplace health and safety specialists; science communicators and academic experts) to complete 2-3 online questionnaires and participate in 1-2 online workshops, to co-design sleep, nutrition and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers. Following resource development, co-designers assessed both the participatory approach and the resulting resources, through an online questionnaire, which included the Public and Patient Engagement Evaluation Tool (PPEET). Co-designers (n = 48) participated in the development of sleep, nutrition and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers. Co-designers evaluated the participatory approach positively, with a mean rating across all PPEET items of 4.7 (±0.2) on a 5-point Likert scale. Co-designers also provided positive ratings for the resources, with the majority (91.7%) either agreeing or strongly agreeing that they were user-friendly, valuable and informative for young shiftworkers and would serve as a credible source of health information. By adopting a novel participatory approach, we successfully co-designed sleep, nutrition and physical activity resources for young shiftworkers. Participatory approaches, including co-design, should be considered when developing health interventions for shiftworkers, given the value of embedding lived experience to address their unique lifestyle challenges. Co-designers and/or people with relevant lived experience were involved in all project activities: conceptualisation, design, recruitment, data collection, data analysis, knowledge translation and output generation.

Analysis of Social Media Interaction on Purchase Intention Mediated by Source Credibility, Homophily and Content Quality

This research analyzes the influence of social media interactions on purchase intentions for Scarlett Whitening products, which are mediated by source credibility, homophily, and content quality. This study aims to understand how interactions on Instagram can influence purchase intentions. This research method uses a quantitative survey on 230 respondents, namely Scarlett Whitening users on the Instagram application in Indonesia. This research analysis uses the software SmartPLS by using the method Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that social media interaction has a positive and significant effect on source credibility, homophily, and content quality. Furthermore, homophily and content quality have a positive and significant effect on purchase intention, while source credibility does not have a significant effect on purchase intention. This research highlights the importance for Scarlett Whitening to not only actively interact with consumers but also pay attention to elements such as source credibility, homophily, and content quality to increase purchase intentions.

THE INFLUENCE OF MESSAGES IN SOCIAL MEDIA ON TAXPAYER COMPLIANCE

This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to assess and explain taxpayers' compliance with the Twitter account @DitjenPajakRI. This is a quantitative study with an explanatory approach. A purposive sample strategy was used with a questionnaire to collect data for this research. A total of 200 people filled out the research questionnaire. According to the study’s findings, Source Credibility influences Attitudes, and the two TPB components, Attitudes and Perceived Behavioral Control, influence Taxpayer Compliance. As for the relationship between Argument Quality and Source Credibility on Attitudes, there is no moderating effect of Involvement; instead, the relationship between Source Credibility and Taxpayer Compliance through Attitudes is a full mediation relationship. The findings of this study can assist the tax authority in developing strategies and policies for efficiently and effectively communicating tax information to taxpayers as they make decisions about how to fulfill their tax rights and obligations through messages from central route, peripheral route, normative, and non-volitional processes.

From Influencers to Followers: Unpacking Credibility Dimensions on Food Sharing Intentions Among Malaysian Youth

Influencer marketing has blossomed into an increasingly prevalent method for products and brands to engage with followers, prompting interest in digital marketing and social media studies. However, due to a lack of source credibility, many social media influencers are experiencing a decline in content sharing from their followers despite investing time and money in developing engaging content. Yet, relatively little is known about influencers’ credibility in relation to food-sharing intentions among Malaysian youth. The present study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between social media influencers’ credibility and followers’ sharing intention on food content. By adopting a quantitative approach with a correlational design, this study aimed to discover the relationship between social media influencers’ perceived expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness with followers’ sharing intention towards the food content among Malaysian youths. The researcher employed a probability sampling technique using a random selection of respondents for the sampling. The findings showed that the level of perceived source credibility dimensions and followers’ sharing intention towards the food content among Malaysian youths was mostly moderate. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between social media influencers’ source credibility dimensions and followers’ sharing intention towards the food content among Malaysian youths. The study leverages a deeper understanding of social media influencers through the dimension of credibility and food-sharing intention and thus contributes to developing a more successful social media strategy to engage with netizens. Keywords: Digital marketing, food-related content, sharing intention, social media influencers, source credibility.

The Internet as a source of medical knowledge for high school and medical students

Background: The Internet is becoming increasingly important in providing medical knowledge. Students facing such information-rich environment, may not pay adequate attention to appropriate use of information sources. Aim of the study:The study aimed to evaluate the use of Internet for obtaining medical information by high school students (HSS) and medical students (MS), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Material and methods:Two anonymous online surveys were distributed through social media among Polish HSS and MS. The questionnaires of 562 HSS and 332 MS, representing 12 medical universities, were analysed.Results:33,7% MS and 12,6% HSS use Internet to obtain medical knowledge several times a day. 63% of all students believe that the COVID-19 pandemic increased this frequency. To accomplish that, 76% MS and 61.6% HSS frequently use search engines. 61% MS and 30,4% HSS often use Wikipedia. News websites are often used by 58.7% HSS and 19,3% MS. Medical databases e.g. PubMed are usually used by 28% MS. Both MS and HSS rated the author's specialty overlapping with the issue as the most important factor affecting the reliability of medical information sources (4.14 and 5.51 points on a 0-5 scale, respectively). 62,4% MS believe medical studies have significantly changed their perception of the credibility of medical knowledge sources. 50% HSS and 42,5% MS, when encountering incorrect medical information, never take any action to clarify it. 87,4% MS and 70% HSS express the need for additional classes on COVID-19 in their school curriculum.Conclusions:The Internet is widely used by HSS and MS as a source of medical knowledge. It is important to emphasize the need to develop the ability to select reliable medical information among users of the virtual world. Students understand the need to evaluate the credibility of sources, however they often do not take any action when confronted with erroneous information.

Improving the Digital Skills of Young Voters Through Education to Prevent Election Hoaxes Using the Kalimasada Mafindo Application

The practical training on fact-checking using Kalimasada Mafindo was conducted to improve digital literacy and participants' ability to counteract the spread of hoaxes about elections. This training was held on 2 July 2024 at the Village Hall Hall, attended by young voters and village officials in Panca Mukti Village who were enthusiastic about understanding the importance of information verification in the digital era. The resource person or facilitator of this activity is Mafindo Volunteers, who are certified in the Fact Check. The training material includes an introduction to Kalimasada as one of the tools in the fact-checking process, techniques for identifying false information, and steps to verify data through credible sources. The participants showed positive and interactive responses during a practice session with the Kalimasada chatbot with the WhatApps 085921600500 number, where they successfully used Kalimasada to verify the correctness of information quickly and accurately. The final evaluation showed that participants understood the concept of fact-checking and had adequate ability to apply it in daily life to combat disinformation, significantly ahead of the 2024 Pilkada.

Media, Doctors, Friends or No One? Predictors of Credibility of Health Information Sources in Ukraine

Media, Doctors, Friends or No One? Predictors of Credibility of Health Information Sources in Ukraine

A Multidisciplinary Threats to Emerging Cybersecurity, Legal and Ethical Threats Posed by Deepfake Technology

The creation of remarkably realistic but phony audio and video content through the use of deepfake technology raises a number of issues with cybersecurity, law and ethics. Deep fakes undermine the credibility of online information sources by posing risks including identity theft and the dissemination of false information. Legally speaking, the rise of deepfakes highlights regulatory inadequacies and enforcement concerns while posing difficult considerations about privacy rights and responsibility. Due to the potential for reputational injury and the perpetuation of negative stereotypes, deep fakes raise ethical questions about permission, privacy and harm to society. Deep fakes have become more common as a result of artificial intelligence's quick development which calls for preventative steps to counter new dangers. To effectively secure against misuse and maintain the integrity of digital material, this research paper proposes for a multidisciplinary strategy that takes legal, ethical and cybersecurity concerns into account

Influence of Electronic Word of Mouth on Labuan Bajo Content and Celebrity Endorser on TikTok Account @tassy.sy on Generation Z's Visiting Interest

The recovery of the tourism sector in Indonesia, especially Labuan Bajo, can be overcome by utilizing technological developments and social media such as TikTok. Tassy is one of the traveling content creators who often shares traveling content on TikTok. This study aims to determine how much influence electronic word of mouth (variable X1 ) Labuan Bajo content and celebrity endorsers (variable X2 ) on the TikTok @tassy.sy account on visiting interest (variable Y) Generation Z. The theory used in this research is Source Credibility Theory. The research method used is explanatory quantitative. The sample technique uses Purposive Sampling by distributing questionnaires through TikTok. The research population is followers of the TikTok account @tassy.sy and obtained a sample size of 100 results from the Taro Yamane formula. The results of multiple linear regression analysis show that E-WOM and celebrity endorsers each have a positive and significant effect on visiting interest, with the magnitude of the influence of celebrity endorsers (0.827) greater than E-WOM (0.729). Meanwhile, the interaction between E-WOM and celebrity endorsers has a negative effect on interest in visiting, meaning that the knowledge gained through celebrity endorser accounts on TikTok elaborated with E-WOM related to Labuan Bajo does not increase interest in visiting. The coefficient of determination shows that the contribution of E-WOM on Labuan Bajo content and celebrity endorsers on the @tassy.sy TikTok account to visiting interest is 92.3%.

Hermeneutical Injustice, Nonbinary Gender Identities and Category Invalidation

ABSTRACT This paper argues for category invalidation as a novel and distinct form of epistemic injustice that people who belong to a non-established social category face. This paper explores category invalidation in the context of nonbinary genders or people whose gender identity lies outside of the established gender binary, and who are placed in a marginalized position by virtue of their gender identity. Category invalidation is a form of hermeneutical injustice that consists of having one’s social experience obscured from collective understanding. Nonbinary people face category invalidation when their claims for their gender identity are met with a denial of the existence of the social category of nonbinary. While category invalidation stems from inaccurate and misinformed hermeneutical resources, it is also actively maintained by dominant knowers who refuse to adopt new and more accurate epistemic resources that marginalized knowers could provide. Category invalidation presents three harms to individuals, which are harms to self-conception, interpersonal harms and structural harms. This can result in diminished resources of self-understanding, not being treated as credible sources of information concerning their own gender and not being recognized as nonbinary on a legal or communal level.

How Does Topical Diversity Affect Source Credibility? Fact-Checking Coverage of Politics, Science, and Popular Culture

How Does Topical Diversity Affect Source Credibility? Fact-Checking Coverage of Politics, Science, and Popular Culture

Venom-derived peptides for breaking through the glass ceiling of drug development.

Venoms are complex mixtures produced by animals and consist of hundreds of components including small molecules, peptides, and enzymes selected for effectiveness and efficacy over millions of years of evolution. With the development of venomics, which combines genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to study animal venoms and their effects deeply, researchers have identified molecules that selectively and effectively act against membrane targets, such as ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors. Due to their remarkable physico-chemical properties, these molecules represent a credible source of new lead compounds. Today, not less than 11 approved venom-derived drugs are on the market. In this review, we aimed to highlight the advances in the use of venom peptides in the treatment of diseases such as neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, or cancer. We report on the origin and activity of the peptides already approved and provide a comprehensive overview of those still in development.

Investigating the influence of social media influencer credibility on beauty product purchase behaviors: a case study from Vietnam

The growing dominance of social media as a marketing platform underscores the importance of understanding how influencer credibility affects consumer behavior. Social media influencers, through effective personal branding and content creation, form strong connections with their followers, significantly impacting their audience’s perceptions, attitudes, and purchasing decisions. This study explores the effects of social media influencers’ source credibility, comprising trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness, on consumers’ purchase intentions and behaviors regarding beauty products in Vietnam. A quantitative approach was utilized, with data collected from 269 Vietnamese consumers through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed that all three components of source credibility, including trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness, significantly and positively influenced consumers’ purchase intentions for beauty products. Among these factors, expertise had the strongest effect on purchase intention (β = 0.289, p < 0.001), followed by trustworthiness (β = 0.216, p = 0.001), and attractiveness had the weakest influence on purchase intention (β = 0.195, p < 0.001). Moreover, purchase intention was found to have a significant positive impact on purchase behavior (β = 0.545, p = 0.004). These findings provide valuable insights for marketing managers and companies seeking to optimize their influencer partnerships by selecting influencers whose credibility aligns with their brand values and leveraging their expertise to build consumer trust, drive engagement, and influence purchase decisions. AcknowledgementThe researchers express sincere gratitude to all the participants who participate in this research study.

Value co-creation in tourism live shopping

Live streaming has been increasingly integrated into e-commerce platforms to sell tourism offerings, yet its value-adding mechanism for enhancing customer shopping experiences remains underexplored. From a value co-creation perspective, this study investigates how customers can co-create value by leveraging the interactive potential in tourism live shopping, and how such customer co-creation behavior can be fostered through the attributes and actions of tourism live streamers, drawing on source credibility and social presence theories. The empirical findings indicate that the credibility traits of tourism live streamers, characterized by trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness, are instrumental in fostering customer co-creation behaviors, which can in turn elevate customer perceived value of their tourism live shopping experiences. Additionally, the study reveals that the level of social presence during tourism live shopping sessions may positively moderate the influence of streamer credibility traits on customer co-creation behaviors.