Credibility Of Content Research Articles

The Effect of Emotional Content and Support on Trust in Internet Forum Posts

Many people now use internet forums for gathering and sharing information on diverse topics, raising questions about the quality and credibility of content on these forums. Although anyone can present questions or advice to online forums regardless of their level of expertise, research shows that internet users do not judge credibility stringently when searching for information online (Flanagin & Metzger, 2000). Factors that influence credibility judgements may include star ratings, length of responses, and the presence of emotional support within the information. We conducted a pilot study that tested the presence of emotional content in questions and emotional support in replies on a hypothetical travel forum. We found that neither the presence of emotional content nor the presence of emotional support influenced user ratings of trust or advice quality. Some limitations of the present study include reply length, salience of the emotional support, and the number of questions presented to each participant. We discuss future directions that should be taken in order to further understand the presence of emotional support in online forums.

The Challenge of Improving Credibility of User-Generated Content in Online Social Networks

In every environment of information exchange, Information Quality (IQ) is considered one of the most important issues. Studies in Online Social Networks (OSNs) analyze a number of related subjects that span both theoretical and practical aspects, from data quality identification and simple attribute classification to quality assessment models for various social environments. Among several factors that affect information quality in online social networks is the credibility of user-generated content. To address this challenge, some proposed solutions include community-based evaluation and labeling of user-generated content in terms of accuracy, clarity, and timeliness, along with well-established real-time data mining techniques.

The Impact of Review Environment on Review Credibility

Research problem: Increasingly, professional and technical communicators analyze, synthesize, and respond to user-generated content, including online consumer reviews of products, as the influence of user-generated content on consumers' purchasing decisions grows. But product reviews vary in the degree to which people perceive them to be credible. Research questions: (1) To what extent does a product review's environment—a retailer or brand site—affect review users' ratings of that review's credibility? (2) To what extent does review valence (positive versus negative) affect review users' ratings of review credibility? (3) What is the strength of the relationship among credibility and its two main components, trustworthiness and expertise? Literature review: Recent research has made clear the spread and the influence of user-generated comments and, thus, the need for sophistication in handling it. Review credibility has two main components: trustworthiness (which equates to honesty or sincerity) and expertise (which equates to accuracy). Prior research also shows the effects of valence (positivity or negativity) in reviews, noting that negative reviews have more influence than positive reviews on readers' perceptions of review credibility and purchasing decisions. Methodology: We tested the effect of a consumer review's environment (brand or retailer site) and the effect of review valence (positive or negative) on the perceived credibility of that review, as well the degree of correlation among credibility, trustworthiness, and expertise. Through an online survey, we exposed respondents to the same review text with different star ratings (4-star and 2-star) in two types of sites: brand and retailer. We asked participants to evaluate the review's credibility, trustworthiness, and expertise. In half of the exposures, participants evaluated a review in the site of a high-credibility company (Apple or Amazon), and in the other half of exposures, participants evaluated a review in the site of a midlevel-credibility company (Dell or Walmart). Results and conclusions: Credibility strongly correlated with both trustworthiness and expertise. Participants rated 4-star reviews as more credible than 2-star reviews on high-credibility sites, but star ratings had no impact on midlevel credibility sites. We found no difference between ratings of reviews displayed on brand and retailer sites for midlevel-credibility companies but a small difference between reviews displayed on brand and retailer sites for high-credibility companies. Professional communicators should attend to reviews posted both to retailer and brand sites. Conclusions: Professional communicators charged with managing user-generated content need not spend resources on channeling it into retailer and other independent review site environments as opposed to brand site environments. Our findings indicate that professional communicators looking to identify credible reviews should attend to review valence, or the positivity or negativity of a review. When managing user-generated product reviews, they should try to make credible content more noticeable to review users.

SIKAP MAHASISWA TERHADAP PESAN PENGINGAT DONOR DARAH DENGAN TEKNOLOGI SMS GATEWAY

Abstract According to the World Health Organization (WHO) blood supply recommendation, Indonesia has 2.5 million blood bags less than it is needed. The majority of Indonesian people have already had mobile phones and thus favorable for the application of short message service (SMS). It is feaseable to use SMS in order to improve donor motivation. This study would like to evaluate students' attitude toward blood donor's message reminder using SMS from the Blood Donors Directory, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University. This is a quantitative study with cross-sectional design. Undergraduate medical students recorded in the database of Blood Donors Directory Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University were chosen as the study population. Simple random sampling was applied to choose the subjects. This study used the framework of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and data were analyzed using Partial Least Square based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Attitude of blood donor's message reminder significantly influenced perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of SMS technology. Attitude of blood donor's message reminder significantly influenced perceived entertainment, irritation, as well as credibility of message content. No significantly influenced by perceived informative. The intention to donate blood were significantly influenced by the attitude of blood donor's message reminder. Students' attitude in donating blood was positively influenced by good perception about ease of use and usefulness of SMS technology. It was also positively influenced by positive perception to entertaining and credible messages, as well as negative perception to irritating messages. The positive attitude towards donor's message reminder would support the intention to behave as blood donors. Keywords : SMS gateway, attitudes toward SMS, blood donation, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Structural Equation Modelling ( SEM), Partial Least Square (PLS)

Big Data on Content Credibility of Social Networking Sites and Instant Messaging Applications

The quantity of unstructured and structured data from social networking platforms and mobile phone instant messaging applications is massive and is produced at an exponential rate yet there is no mechanism to verify the content's truthfulness and trustworthiness. In this paper we have proposed a theory of how Big Data technology can be employed to validate the credibility of the vastly diffused data. Using technologies like Hadoop to analytically process the fast paced incoming data and measure the reliability of the content. To verify the integrity, the processed data must be inspected against entrusted sources. These sources must be accessible and should have trustworthy data that can assist in measuring the authenticity of contents from various sources. While privacy concerns are often dismissed when data is scraped from public-facing platforms such as Facebook, the need for these sites to validate the data posted on their site becomes prudent. Posting false rumors devalues the extent to which social networking acts as an effective method of spreading true information. In this paper we provide a brief exploration on Big Data, Hadoop and influence of unsolicited messages propagated from social networking websites and instant messaging applications.

Arabic Rumours Identification By Measuring The Credibility Of Arabic Tweet Content

Twitter enjoys the fame of the most popular and widely used as a platform for socializing, including all aspects of life current affairs, religious ideas, political issues, scientific research, and general knowledge. Every single activity of day to day life and human behavior and values is lodged at this platform. Sending and receiving messages on Twitter (tweets) with is limited to 140 characters, In this research the author attempts to understand the characteristics of those Arabic rumour (falsified information stream) patterns. False tweets could be a rumour which is mostly recognized as a representative whose legitimacy, authenticity, precision and significance is either unverifiable or unreliable. Arabic rumours may propagate misinformation on social networks. In this research, the author illustrates the difficulty of Arabic rumour identification in twitter social platform by studying the impact based on Arabic tweet content. Furthermore, the author explains how these content features are too influential in measuring the credibility of those Arabic tweets.

Online Patient Education for Chronic Disease Management: Consumer Perspectives.

Patient education plays an important role in chronic disease management. The aim of this study is to identify patients' preferences in regard to the design features of effective online patient education (OPE) and the benefits. A review of the existing literature was conducted in order to identify the benefits of OPE and its essential design features. These design features were empirically tested by conducting survey with patients and caregivers. Reliability analysis, construct validity and regression analysis were performed for data analysis. The results identified patient-tailored information, interactivity, content credibility, clear presentation of content, use of multimedia and interpretability as the essential design features of online patient education websites for chronic disease management.

Is Your New Product Really Boosting our Sales? An Econometric Model to Quantify the Cannibalization Effect

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Which UGC features drive web purchase intent? A spike-and-slab Bayesian Variable Selection Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify user-generated content (UGC) features that determine web purchase decision making. Design/methodology/approach – The authors embed a spike-and-slab Bayesian variable selection mechanism into a logistic regression model to identify the UGC features that are critical to web purchase intent. This enables us to make a highly reliable analysis of survey data. Findings – The results indicate that the web purchase decision is driven by the relevance, up-to-dateness and credibility of the UGC information content. Research limitations/implications – The results show that the characteristics of UGC are seen as positive and the medium enables consumers to sort information and concentrate on aspects of the message that are similar to traditional word-of-mouth (WOM). One important implication is the relative importance of credibility which has been previously hypothesized to be lower in the electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) context. The results show that consumers consider credibility important as the improved technology provides more possibilities to find out about that factor. A limitation is that the data are not fully representative of the general population but our Bayesian method gives us high analytical quality. Practical implications – The study shows that UGC impacts consumer online purchase intentions. Marketers should understand the wide range of media that provide UGC and they should concentrate on the relevance, up-to-dateness and credibility of product information that they provide. Originality/value – The analytical quality of the spike- and- slab Bayesian method suggests a new way of understanding the impact of aspects of UGC on consumers.

Product placement and the credibility of television journalism. An RTR-supported experiment on the relationship between product placement, expert statements, and viewer perceptions in consumer-advice programs

AbstractEmbedding a product or a brand into journalistic content may have a negative impact on how the content’s credibility is perceived by recipients. However, research has not been able to convincingly prove that product placement has an effect on how recipients perceive and evaluate media content. This particularly applies to context effects, such as the effect that the number of visible products or brands has on the perceived credibility of the journalistic content the placement is embedded in. This study addresses two questions: whether the use of visible products or brands embedded in journalistic content influences the credibility that recipients attribute to such content, and how the tenor of the content, positive or negative, interacts with the placed products. Based on experimental findings and real-time response measurements, we conclude that the number of visible products does not significantly affect the credibility attributed to journalistic content and that judgments about credibility are influenced by the interaction between the number of products placed and the tenor of the content.

ONLINE HEALTH INFORMATION SEEKING DURING ADOLESCENCE: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY REGARDING ROMANIAN TEENAGERS

How Internet is used by individuals from different age groups to keep their health in check has become one of the major issue of both academic researchers and policy makers. The topic derives mainly from 2000-2014 data which converge towards an Internet accessing pattern as source of information regarding health. Previous studies showed that teenagers are the main consumers of the Internet and they often start surfing for online health concerns on social media (Facebook, Twitter) and popular engines (Google, Yahoo). The current paper describes how Romanian teenagers (N=161, aged 14-19) browse for online topics to keep their health in check. Based on a questionnaire, the data revealed that the Internet is used to a certain extent by more than a third of the respondents for health topics and over half of them consider that the health related information helped them to achieve a good trim. Overall, the research outcomes showed that the adolescents seem less interested in using Internet for health information and sometimes challenge the credibility of online health content.

The Importance of Source and Credibility Perception in Times of Crisis: Crisis Communication in a Socially Mediated Era

Social media are invaluable sources of information during organizational crises. Although recent research confirms this fundamental role in crisis communication, this article is aimed at deepening the understanding about the role of the source of information in this socially mediated era by comparing the organization and the employee as communicators. As social media lack traditional gatekeeping processes, dynamics of both source and content credibility are assessed. The findings, based on an experimental design, advocate that judgments of organizational reputation are not only dependent on the crisis-response strategy, but also depend on the source and perceptions of source and content credibility.

Towards a highly effective and robust Web credibility evaluation system

By leveraging crowdsourcing, Web credibility evaluation systems (WCESs) have become a promising tool to assess the credibility of Web content, e.g., Web pages. However, existing systems adopt a passive way to collect users' credibility ratings, which incurs two crucial challenges: (1) a considerable fraction of Web content have few or even no ratings, so the coverage (or effectiveness) of the system is low; (2) malicious users may submit fake ratings to damage the reliability of the system. In order to realize a highly effective and robust WCES, we propose to integrate recommendation functionality into the system. On the one hand, by fusing Matrix Factorization and Latent Dirichlet Allocation, a personalized Web content recommendation model is proposed to attract users to rate more Web pages, i.e., the coverage is increased. On the other hand, by analyzing a user's reaction to the recommended Web content, we detect imitating attackers, which have recently been recognized as a particular threat to WCES to make the system more robust. Moreover, an adaptive reputation system is designed to motivate users to more actively interact with the integrated recommendation functionality. We conduct experiments using both real datasets and synthetic data to demonstrate how our proposed recommendation components significantly improve the effectiveness and robustness of existing WCES.

Factors Influencing Learning Satisfaction of Migrant Workers in Korea with E-learning-Based Occupational Safety and Health Education

BackgroundE-learning-based programs have recently been introduced to the occupational safety and health (OSH) education for migrant workers in Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the factors related to migrant workers' backgrounds and the instructional design affect the migrant workers' satisfaction with e-learning-based OSH education.MethodsThe data were collected from the surveys of 300 migrant workers who had participated in an OSH education program. Independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were conducted to examine differences in the degree of learning satisfaction using background variables. In addition, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted to examine relationships between the instructional design variables and the degree of learning satisfaction.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the degree of learning satisfaction by gender, age, level of education, number of employees, or type of occupation, except for nationality. Among the instructional design variables, “learning content” (β = 0.344, p < 0.001) affected the degree of learning satisfaction most significantly, followed by “motivation to learn” (β = 0.293, p < 0.001), “interactions with learners and instructors” (β = 0.149, p < 0.01), and “previous experience related to e-learning” (β = 0.095, p < 0.05). “Learning environment” had no significant influence on the degree of learning satisfaction.ConclusionE-learning-based OSH education for migrant workers may be an effective way to increase their safety knowledge and behavior if the accuracy, credibility, and novelty of learning content; strategies to promote learners' motivation to learn; and interactions with learners and instructors are systematically applied during the development and implementation of e-learning programs.

Project Information Literacy's Research Summary: Lifelong Learning Study, Phase Two and the Online Survey

A trends report with preliminary findings from the lifelong learning survey Project Information Literacy administered to recent college graduates from 10 US colleges and universities during October 2014 through December 2014. Survey data was collected from college graduates (n=1,651) about their lifelong learning needs and information practices for their personal development, engagement in local communities, and for staying employable and competitive in the workplace. A majority of grads had a diffuse set of complex learning needs, which often overlapped. Grads relied on a mixed variety of information sources in their lives for staying informed, including search engines, books, blogs, social networks, co-workers, and friends. About half of the respondents credited college with helping them develop their competencies for extracting the information needed and evaluating the credibility of content. The survey results are revealing about the information competencies a majority of students may develop and master during their college years. Still, lifelong learning was not necessarily easier for grads: Many "strongly agreed" with the statement that finding time as well as locating affordable sources for learning after college was challenging.

Acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a tailored online HIV/STI testing intervention for young men who have sex with men: the Get Connected! program.

Southeast Michigan accounts for over 70% of all HIV/STI cases in the state, with young men who have sex with men (YMSM) between the ages of 13 and 24 encumbering the largest burden in HIV/STI incidence. Using community-based participatory research principles, we developed and pilot tested a web-based, randomized control trial seeking to promote HIV/STI testing ("Get Connected!") among YMSM (N=130; ages 15-24). Randomized participants completed a baseline assessment and shown a test-locator condition (control) or a tailored, personalized site (treatment). At 30-day follow-up, we found high acceptability among YMSM in both conditions, yet higher credibility of intervention content among YMSM in the treatment group (d=.55). Furthermore, 30 participants reported testing by following, with the majority of these participants (73.3%; n=22) completing the treatment condition, a clinically meaningful effect (d=.34) suggesting preliminary efficacy for the intervention. These results demonstrate the potential of the intervention, and suggest that a larger efficacy trial may be warranted.

Conceptualising how SMEs incorporate green content in their websites

This paper presents a framework on how Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can proactively incorporate content relating to their ecological responsibility (or green) activities in their websites. SME studies offer limited guidance on, and conceptualisation of, how organisations can incorporate different types of content into their website designs. This paper addresses this problem by presenting the results of an exploratory, qualitative content analysis of Australian SME websites where emergent themes are interpreted using framing and legitimacy theories. It describes three dimensions (location, presentation, and specificity) which comprise the framework, under which the themes are grouped. The paper outlines how scholars can use the framework to develop models and carry out evaluations regarding how SMEs embed green content, and potentially other specific content types, in their websites. It also summarises how the framework can assist SMEs (or website developers serving them) make informed decisions regarding framing their websites as green, or de-emphasising this content, by paying attention to its location (e.g. homepage, navigation bars) and presentation (e.g. how paragraphs, images, etc are used) within webpages. The legitimacy or credibility of the green content can be enhanced using different types of specificity (e.g. statistics, detail of processes and actions, and third-party substantiation).

The Internet as a source of health information: the vision of students of Andalusia, Spain

El Internet (la red para usuarios de computadora) puede ser una herramienta útil para adolescentes y jóvenes en la búsqueda y uso de información sobre la salud. Las razones para ello han sido descritas en diversos estudios, sin embargo la confianza en la información disponible en el Internet es variable y persisten necesidades de alfabetización para su uso. Tanto el sistema de salud como el educativo pueden desempeñar un papel fundamental para el asesoramiento de la materia. Es necesario conocer las opiniones que tienen los estudiantes de educación secundaria y de universidad en Andalucía, España, sobre la relación entre el Internet y la salud, el concepto de salud y la imagen que proyecta el Internet y el ‘social media’ (medios o redes sociales electrónicos) con relación a la juventud y su salud. Hemos desarrollado un estudio, usando técnicas de etnografía virtual: hemos consultado a 55 estudiantes de enseñanza secundaria en foros virtuales y a 21 estudiantes universitarios en video entrevistas semi-estructuradas. Los estudiantes aportaron un concepto de salud integral, relacionado con los hábitos de salud física y emocional, y con los activos o factores positivos para la salud. Exponen una visión crítica de la utilidad del Internet para la salud, y sobre la calidad y credibilidad de los contenidos de salud en el Internet, manifestando la necesidad de tener asesoramiento y alfabetización. Presentan una opinión alternativa, más positiva que la visión que se da en social media e Internet sobre sus estilos de vida, y sugieren desarrollar al Internet como herramienta para potenciar la conversación participativa y el aprendizaje en salud. La metodología empleada en este estudio puede contribuir a probar nuevas formas de investigación y acción en futuros trabajos sobre la salud con adolescentes y jóvenes en Internet.

Brave Music of a Distant Drum by M. Herbstein

Herbstein, Manu. Brave Music of a Distant Drum. Red Deer, AB: Red Deer Press. 2012. Print. A young African-American man, Zachariah Wiliams, comes to visit his mother, who has been enslaved all her adult life. He, too, is a slave, but views his Brazilian owners as benevolent Christians, who have taught him how to read and write, gave him some pay for his bookkeeping work, and have promised to set him free in the coming years. He is reticent to meet with his mother who has never converted to Christianity, and with whom he is not close; she calls him by the name Kwame Zumbi, and she is uninterested in his successes working for his owners. She has asked him to smuggle some paper from his office, for she is going to tell a story she wishes him to write down for his own daughter to read when she is older.Ama's story is brutal in a way that is familiar to many readers, but not predictable. She tells of a failed rebellion on the slave ship, the beatings and sexual assaults that were a part of her everyday life, and of her love for Tomba, Zacharias' father. She writes of her intimacy with the daughter of her owners, emphasizing the strangeness of a girl who attempts to treat Ama well as a slave, but who does not truly want Ama to have her freedom. Although Ama has some momentary victories against people involved in the slave trade, she is never ultimately free. The novel does not attempt to fulfill a reader's hope for Ama's emancipation, and in this way, is more realistic than some fictional narratives of slavery in the Americas; it also avoids 'containing' the issue of slavery by ending with an individual's escape. This makes for a difficult, but strong novel.This young adult novel is based on author Herbstein's earlier historical novel for adults, Ama: A Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Herbstein has made an unusual move here, revising the original novel for a younger audience, and has made thoughtful choices in doing so. He has shortened the story significantly, skimming over much of Ama's experiences that take place between her kidnapping in her village, and her forced placement on a slave ship headed for Brazil. (He skillfully explains this change as the limited amount of paper that Zachariah been able to procure; Ama wishes to retain only the details of her brutal enslavement in Brazil.) Herbstein's use of shifting first-person perspective, alternating between Ama and Zacharias, efficiently conveys Ama's blunt telling with her son's change from disbelief to anger at the injustice she has endured—an injustice that implicates his Brazilian owners. Brave Music of a Distant Drum is a brutal, thoughtful, well-written book that would be excellent for teenage readers.Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.

Crazy by A. Reed

Reed, Amy. Crazy. New York: Simon Pulse, 2013. Print.Isabel and Connor hit it off at camp, where they worked as art counsellors for the summer. Now Isabel is back with her dysfunctional family in Seattle, and Connor is living with his idealistic activist single mother on Bainbridge Island. They communicate by email, since Isabel hates the phone, and only occasionally does Connor 'catch' her on chat. Isabel, or “Izzy,” sets the conditions and the scope of their communications, acting as a brash, blunt foil to Connor's more serious discussions. As very different people, they are intrigued with one another, although Connor becomes frustrated when Izzy refuses to respond to his questions that probe the surface below her bright chatter. As the school year progresses, each of them deal with sex, school friendships (or lack of them), and the pressures they feel from their families. But although they cling to one another, Izzy's emails become angrier and more desperate, and her silences become longer when Connor tries to find out what is really going on with her.Reed uses the form of the epistolary novel, using emails and instant messages to build her characters. This technique allows their characterizations to come through clearly, and also help to convey Izzy's state of mind, alternating between manic and depressed. At times, each character seems a bit too self-aware for her or his age and situation. Although their writing reads authentically as what I might expect of contemporary 18-year-olds, some of their insights seem to be forced; take, for example, Connor's recognition that both he and his mother try to take care of others without taking care of themselves – or each other. Connor is a particularly sensitive and open teenager, but this kind of insight sounds more adult than I think is warranted.The novel overall deals with issues of young people with bipolar disorder, without making the book seem like a “single-issue” story. Reed has created two distinctive characters who talk about issues without shying away from issues that other authors might avoid; for example, how Isabel and Connor speak frankly about sex is one detail that contributes to a three-dimensional characterization. I would recommend this novel for both its approach to mental health, as well as its memorable protagonists.Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Allison SivakAllison Sivak is the Public Services Librarian at the University of Alberta Libraries. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Library and Information Studies and Elementary Education, focusing on how the aesthetics of information design influence young people’s trust in the credibility of information content.