Credible Sources Of Information Research Articles

Horizontal positional accuracy of Google Earth's imagery over rural areas: a study case in Tamaulipas, Mexico

Due to the popularity of Google Earth (GE), users commonly assume that it is a credible and accurate source of information. Consequently, GE's imagery is frequently used in scientific and others projects. However, Google states that data available in their geographic products are only approximations and, therefore, their accuracy is not officially documented. In this paper, the horizontal positional accuracy of GE's imagery is assessed by means of comparing coordinates extracted from a rural cadastral database against coordinates extracted from well-defined and inferred check points in GE's imagery. The results suggest that if a large number of well-defined points are extracted from areas of high resolution imagery, GE's imagery over rural areas meets the horizontal accuracy requirements of the ASPRS for the production of "Class 1" 1:20,000 maps. Nonetheless, the results also show that georegistration and large horizontal errors occur in GE's imagery. Consequently, despite its overall horizontal positional accuracy, coordinates extracted from GE's imagery should be used with caution.

Conflict Resolution and Organizational Influence

Agents need to be motivated to develop ideas and to share information regarding their potential value. When the principal needs to rely on the agents' claims when choosing between the alternatives, she needs to decide how conflict between the alternatives is resolved. This resolution can be either asymmetric, in which case conflict is always resolved in favor of one of the agents, or symmetric, in which case each agent has an equal likelihood of having his alternative implemented. Favoring an agent increases his influence in the final choice, which in turn makes him a more credible source of information and more motivated to generate good ideas, further increasing his influence. As long as incentive contracting is sufficiently flexible, such favoritism is always optimal, supporting the argument that firms are typically better off by focusing their strategy on particular aspects of their business. Conditions under which this may not be the case are also considered.

The Implications of the Rise in Social Networking Sites on the Newspaper Industry in Nsukka Urban Area, Nigeria

Social networking sites have been sources of information just as the traditional mass media. This study aims at determining the implications of the rise in social networking sites on the newspaper industry. The objectives of this study in Nsukka urban area are to find out the level of awareness of people about social networking sites; to investigate the level of usage of these sites; and to examine the implications of the rise of these sites on the newspaper industry. This work uses survey research method. The study uses descriptive statistics for the analysis of the gathered data and the results show that people are very much aware of social networking sites and also use them; most of the respondents also believe that social networking sites are increasing. In addition, majority of the respondents prefer social networking sites to newspapers. Their preference of the social networking sites are due to their lower cost, prompt access to information, immediate feedback capability, unlimited access in the use of networks, access to real time recordings and a wider coverage. Also, the use of social networking sites has caused a decrease in readership and sales and is seen as credible source of information. Based on the above findings, it is recommended that the newspaper industry should reappraise their activities and operations to devise ways of making the newspaper relevant amidst the rise of social networking sites.

Influencing factors in MMR immunisation decision making

Immunisation decision making is not a straightforward process for parents. Many factors influence parental decision making on whether they immunise their child with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The feasibility study described in this article provides insight into influencing factors associated with decisions regarding the immunisation of children by parents. The study findings suggest that the practice nurse is a credible source of information for parents seeking informed decision making. At a time when the incidence of measles and mumps is rising in the UK, the provision of appropriate information by the practice nurse has the potential to increase uptake of the MMR vaccine.

Emergent Use of Twitter in the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake

Social networks play an important role in disaster situations as they have become a new form of social convergence that provides collective information. The effect of social media on people who experienced disaster should be assessed. Hypothesis In this study, Twitter communication during the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 was assessed. The hypothesis of this study was that usage of Twitter had psychological effects on victims of the disaster. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out in cooperation with a major Japanese newspaper three months after the disaster, and 1,144 volunteer participants responded. They were asked about their health, area of residence, property damage they had experienced, information sources they used at the time of the disaster, and their usage of Twitter. Further, the Twitter users were divided into two groups-with and without disaster experience. Their psychological effects relating to feelings of relief, stress or anxiety that they experienced in using Twitter were compared between two groups, and Twitter's psychological risk of disaster experience was estimated as an odds ratio. Twitter users in this study tended to reside in disaster-affected areas and thought Twitter was a credible information source during the time of the disaster. The psychological effect of Twitter differed based on participants' disaster experience and gender. Females with disaster experience reported more feelings of relief and stress as a result of using Twitter compared to females who did not experience the disaster. On the other hand, males with disaster experience only reported more stress experiences as a result of using Twitter compared to those without disaster experience. Twitter users with disaster experience had a higher usage of Twitter than those without disaster experience. Social media might have had a material psychological influence on people who experienced disaster, and the effect differed by gender. Regardless of gender, negative feelings were transmitted easily among people who experienced the disaster. It was anticipated that the application of Twitter in a disaster situation will be expanded further by taking these findings into consideration.

El peso de la publicidad en las informaciones periodísticas

Due to the cost of mounting a global advertising campaign in a crisis environment and the limitation of advertising as a credible source of information, advertising rates especially in newspapershave shirked considerably in recent years. Some researchers have open the discussion if gatekeepers benefit advertisers by accepting more press releases and divulgating them with a better position as a way to maintain a reliable source of income. To prove this hypothesis, the press releases, the news stories and the advertisements of nine companies in six different Spanish newspapers during two months have been studied. Results show, among other things, that as newspapers’ circulation raises, the number of advertisements increases, and so does the number of advertisers’ press releases that are published.

Using Grey Literature to Prepare Pharmacy Students for an Evolving Healthcare Delivery System

To assess the impact of using "grey literature" (information internally produced in print or electronic format by agencies such as hospitals, government, businesses, etc) rather than a textbook in a course on healthcare delivery systems on students' perception of the relevance of healthcare delivery system topics and their ability to identify credible sources of this information. A reading from the grey literature was identified and assigned to the students for each topic in the course. Pre- and post-course survey instruments were used for the assessment. Students reported healthcare delivery systems topics to be moderately relevant to the profession of pharmacy on both the pre- and post-course survey instruments. Students' knowledge of current and credible sources of information on healthcare delivery system topics significantly improved based on self-reports and scores on objective assessments (p<0.05). Assignment of grey literature in a course on healthcare delivery systems can be used to ensure that information in the pharmacy school curriculum is the most current and credible information available.

Gresham's Law of Political Communication: How Citizens Respond to Conflicting Information

Although citizens are often exposed to conflicting communications from political elites, few studies examine the effects of conflicting information on the quality of citizens’ decisions. Thus, I conduct experiments in which subjects are exposed to conflicting information before making decisions that affect their future welfare. The results suggest that a version of Gresham's Law operates in the context of political communication. When a credible source of information suggests the welfare-improving choice and a less credible source simultaneously suggests a choice that will make subjects worse off, subjects make worse decisions than when only the credible source is available. This occurs because many subjects base their decisions upon the less credible source or forgo participation. This occurs mostly among unsophisticated subjects, who are more easily led astray. These findings reveal important limits to the effectiveness of credible information sources and suggest how political campaigns might strategically use conflicting information to their benefit.

Brand-Related eWOM and Its Effects on Purchase Decisions: An Empirical Study of University of Botswana Students

This research investigates the extent to which University of Botswana students engage in brand-related eWOMvia social media and the effects this could be having on their purchase decisions. A survey method involving astructured questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of 300 students at the main campus of theUniversity of Botswana was used. Unexpectedly the results of the present study indicate that the level ofengagement in brand-related eWOM by University of Botswana students is relatively low. The results alsoindicate that engagement in brand-related eWOM generally and opinion seeking behavior in particular positivelyand significantly influences purchase decisions. This finding is consistent with previous studies which show thatconsumers consider word-of-mouth to be a credible source of information about products and brands. This studyconcludes that marketing practitioners in Botswana should both promote brand-related eWOM among universitystudents and incorporate it in their marketing tools.

Body Art Education

Using the major format identified for successful prevention and intervention work, five "W" questions: what, why, whom, where, and who, plus one: how, this article first summarizes the current body art literature. Then, educational strategies specifically regarding the topic of tattoos and body piercing are presented for school nurses. These strategies can be used to create applicable, realistic information for young students before they are faced with decisions related to body art. The school nurse might be the first and only credible source of information the students receive related to body art in an education/health environment. Curriculum emphasis is on the decision making leading up to the action, and the major purposes, rather than on the markings or jewelry associated with procurement. Reducing decisional conflict while promoting positive development in the areas of empowerment, self-esteem, and maturing can help achieve stronger informed decision making.

The Need to Teach About Ethics and Science, and the Credibility of Sources

One of the learning objectives of general education science courses at my university is for students to learn how to the credibility, use, and misuse of information in developments and public-policy issues Qames Madison University, 2012). While peer review is the gatekeeper in place to help ensure creditability of research, not all sources of publicly available information are peer-reviewed. And as you may have observed, students often take the easy road when conducting literature research for a term paper - short on peer-reviewed literature and long on sources that ranked high on Google searches, regardless of their credibility. There are several classic real world examples that we, as science teachers, can use to help our students learn how to evaluate the credibility of information and the sources of that information - from the historical record of false health claims made by the tobacco industry, to the flawed argument for equal time in science classrooms for teaching intelligent design as an alternative scientific perspective to evolution. Well, thanks to the deliberately misleading efforts of the Cato Institute (a political think tank, not a institute), we now have another example to draw from, this time from a science field that is near and dear to my heart: climate science.The U.S. general public's understanding of climate change is distinctly different from that of climate scientists, and from much of the rest of the world. For example, just over 50% of the 1,014 respondents to a 2010 Gallup poll agreed with the statement that the effects of global warming have already begun or will begin within a few years. A similar proportion of the respondents agreed with the statement that the increase in Earth's temperature over the last century is due more to human activities than to natural causes (Newport, 2010). In contrast, 97% of 1,395 climate scientists surveyed endorsed similar statements (Anderegg et al, 2010, in Weber and Stern, 2011). Furthermore, the proportion of people in the U.S. that think climate change is a very serious problem is about half of that of the global average (31% vs. 59% respectively; World Bank, 2009).Psychologists Weber and Stern (2011) point out that the reasons for these disconnects stem from both the inherently complex nature of climate science and from the contrasting ways by which scientists vs. nonscientists develop their understanding about climate, with nonscientists relying heavily on personal experience, values, and mass media for their information. Unethical lobbying groups who have particular political or business interests can take advantage of this, and work to perpetuate the disconnect between and public understandings. The Cato Institute is doing just that.What exactly did the Cato Institute do? They produced a deceptive report titled Addendum: Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States (Cato Institute, 2012). It is deceptive in presentation and content. The chosen title and layout (e.g., cover design, key message sections) make it look as if it is a follow-up to the U.S. Global Change Research Program's (USGCRP; Karl et al., 2009) peer-reviewed study, Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, which it most definitely is not. The USGCRP coordinates and integrates federal research on global environmental and climate change and the implications for society; it is a legitimate, credible source of information. …

What are the roles of carers in decision-making for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis multidisciplinary care?

PurposeFamily carers of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are presumed to have frequent involvement in decision-making for symptom management and quality of life. To better understand and improve decision-making, we investigated the range and extent of carer participation in decision-making. By focusing on the perspectives of ALS support carers, the study aimed to explore carer participation in decision-making, to identify carer roles, and determine the facilitators and barriers to carer participation in decision-making for ALS multidisciplinary care.Participants and methodsAn exploratory, in-depth study was conducted with eight carers of ALS patients from two specialized ALS multidisciplinary clinics. Carers participated in semi-structured interviews that were audio recorded and transcribed then coded and analyzed for emergent themes.ResultsCarers made a significant contribution to ALS decision-making. Their roles were: promoting the patient voice, promoting patient health literacy, and providing emotional support and logistical assistance. Facilitators of carer participation in decision-making were perceived to be: health professional endorsement of patients’ decision-making style; access to credible information sources; evidence-based information from the ALS clinic, ALS support association, and health practitioners; supportive relationships with family and friends; spiritual faith; ease of contact with ALS services; and availability of physical and practical support for carers. Barriers to carer participation included: changes to patient communication and cognition; conflict between respect for patients’ independence and patients’ best interest; communication breakdown between patient, carer, and service providers; the confronting nature of disease information; credibility of Internet sites; carer coping strategies; lack of support for the carer; and the burden of care.ConclusionCarers enhance ALS patient-centered care through their participation in decision-making. They collaborate with patients and health professionals to form a decision-making triad within specialized multidisciplinary ALS clinical care. Nevertheless, health professional engagement with carers as collaborative partners is acknowledged to be a significant challenge.

Student Tourism and Destination Choice: Exploring the Influence of Traditional, New, And Social Media: an Australian Case Study

Greater attention is now being given to the increasing popularity of the Internet as a communication tool, particularly social media and other forms of user-generated content (UGC). Social media websites, representing various forms of UGC, are also specifically gaining considerable attention from tourists and potential tourists. Now, tourists have the option of seeking information from “new media,” such as the Internet and social media, as well as traditional media, including films, television, books, magazines, and newspapers. Whereas both new and traditional media will play key roles in influencing the destination choices of tourists, research must also consider the influence of social groups that then translates through word of mouth (WOM). The youth and student travel market is a valuable segment of the overall tourism market, although it is often dismissed or ignored by tourism operators as youth tourists are wrongly perceived as having little financial value. This is, perhaps, because youth and student tourists are generally perceived as having a low income, and thus little disposable income to contribute towards travel. This research addresses this lack of attention by examining and exploring the international destination choice influencers of students with regard to peer and social pressure, traditional WOM, online social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and other UGC websites. The research used a qualitative, focus group study strategy. The results found that all 24 university student participants indicated some level of apprehension about the reliability of information found on the Internet and social media in particular, and there were also varying degrees of reluctance to utilize social media as a credible destination information source. This contradicts previous research suggesting young people such as university students do not generally show concern about the credibility of information found in social media.

The role of installers for thermo-technical installations when buying gas boilers

This study presents the research of role installers for thermo-technical installations when buying gas boilers in the Serbian market. Considering the fact that installers are significantly different, they are grouped by specific, relevant characteristics. The research is focused on the evaluation of marketing mix instruments by nine identified segments of installers. Moreover, research has been explored deeper through conclusion installers about the most important and most credible sources of information on gas boilers. During the research were used secondary and primary data sources. Besides the research at the table, field research has been also done by unstructured personal communication. All collected data were analyzed in details and both hypothesis were tested, where one of them is partially confirmed, and another one fully confirm. Given results can be useful for marketers and their anticipation of demand. Also these results can be used for creating optimal marketing strategy in the Serbian market of gas boilers.

Availability and Use of Information Sources by the Rural Families of Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh

This study has been done on the availability and use of information sources by the rural people of Ballia District of Uttar Pradesh. The paper focuses on the media sources available for the rural people and in what way these sources are being utilised by them. Findings reveal that maximum number of respondents had television (TV) sets, followed by radio. TV was found to be the maximum utilised mass media, followed by newspaper. Majority of the respondents used TV, radio and magazines for entertainment, whereas newspaper was used for news or information purpose. The study has further revealed that TV was the most utilised as well as most credible mass media source of information for the rural families.

The Exercise Prescription: A Tool to Improve Physical Activity

The current epidemic of sedentary behavior is a serious public health issue that requires the attention of the medical community. Although the benefits of physical activity are well established, research indicates that Americans are not heeding the message, and new strategies are warranted to bring about change in this arena. The health care community can and should play a key role in this movement. Patients respect their physicians as credible sources of information and look to them for health-related guidance. Unfortunately, many physicians are not talking to their patients about physical activity and are missing a unique opportunity to raise awareness about its benefits. Exercise needs to be discussed as a serious form of treatment, similar to medication, and should be thoughtfully prescribed to every patient. Physicians need to be familiar with the level of exercise necessary to achieve health benefits as defined by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Furthermore, they should be competent in their ability to identify a patient's level of risk for starting or increasing exercise and provide guidance on the frequency, intensity, time, and type of activity necessary to safely elicit maximal health benefits. These basic competencies can be easily understood by physicians and incorporated into their practices. Resources have been established to help support physicians in this process. Physiatrists are uniquely positioned to lead the effort for change in this area because they are well-established proponents of exercise and are trained to prescribe therapeutic exercise to address the complex medical issues of their patients. This skill-set should be used for every patient in an effort to reduce the widespread prevalence of the “chronic disease” physical inactivity.

Patients with rare diseases using pharmacists for medication information

Objectives:To determine whether patients with a rare illness (1) use pharmacists for medication information more or less frequently than physicians and the Internet, (2) perceive pharmacists as a more or less credible medical information resource than physicians and the Internet, and (3) obtain different types of medication information from pharmacists, physicians, and the Internet. Design:Cross-sectional survey. Setting:Online data collected between 2008 and 2009. Patients:Adult, English-proficient vasculitis patients (n=232) who were taking at least one medication to treat their vasculitis. Intervention:Administration of online survey. Main outcome measures:Patient use of pharmacists, physicians, and the Internet for medication information; perceived credibility of pharmacists, physicians, and the Internet as sources of medication information; and types of medication information obtained from pharmacists, physicians, and the Internet. Results:Participants consulted physicians and the Internet more than pharmacists for medication information; only 96 participants (41.4%) ever used pharmacists for vasculitis medication information. Females and participants who used community pharmacies were significantly more likely to consult pharmacists for medication information as compared with males and patients who did not use community pharmacies. Participants perceived pharmacists were a less credible source of medication information than physicians and the Internet. Participants used physicians and/or the Internet more than pharmacists for five of eight types of medication information, including adverse effects and drug effectiveness. Conclusion:Vasculitis patients consulted sources other than pharmacists for medication information. Several factors, including perceived pharmacist credibility and a noncommunity-based pharmacy, may contribute to infrequent patient use of pharmacists as a medication information source. Future qualitative research should document how patients with rare disease perceive and interact with pharmacists to understand why many view pharmacists as only moderately credible sources of medication information.

The Role of Healthcare Providers and Caregivers in Educating Older Adults about Foodborne Illness Prevention

Adults aged 60 or older are more likely than younger adults to experience severe complications or even death as a result of foodborne infections. This study investigated which specific groups of healthcare providers or other caregivers are most receptive to providing food safety information to older adults. Telephone-based focus groups were conducted with health care providers and caregivers to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding foodborne illness prevention for older adults. Focus groups identified a gap between older adults’ trust in healthcare providers as a credible source of food safety information and healthcare providers’ lack of training, knowledge, and willingness to provide food safety information to older adults.

Parental Acceptance of HPV Vaccine in Peru: A Decision Framework

Objective and MethodCervical cancer is the third most common cancer affecting women worldwide and it is an important cause of death, especially in developing countries. Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) and can be prevented by HPV vaccine. The challenge is to expand vaccine availability to countries where it is most needed. In 2008 Peru’s Ministry of Health implemented a demonstration project involving 5th grade girls in primary schools in the Piura region. We designed and conducted a qualitative study of the decision-making process among parents of girls, and developed a conceptual model describing the process of HPV vaccine acceptance.ResultsWe found a nonlinear HPV decision-making process that evolved over time. Initially, the vaccine’s newness, the requirement of written consent, and provision of information were important. If information was sufficient and provided by credible sources, many parents accepted the vaccine. Later, after obtaining additional information from teachers, health personnel, and other trusted sources, more parents accepted vaccination. An understanding of the issues surrounding the vaccine developed, parents overcome fears and rumors, and engaged in family negotiations–including hearing the girl’s voice in the decision-making process. The concept of prevention (cancer as danger, future health, and trust in vaccines) combined with pragmatic factors (no cost, available at school) and the credibility of the offer (information in the media, recommendation of respected authority figure) were central to motivations that led parents to decide to vaccinate their daughters. A lack of confidence in the health system was the primary inhibitor of vaccine acceptance.ConclusionsHealth personnel and teachers are credible sources of information and can provide important support to HPV vaccination campaigns.

Whom to Believe: Recruiting Information Source Credibility and Organizational Attractiveness

This study uses a policy-capturing methodology to investigate how job seekers faced with conflicting recruiting information make organizational attractiveness judgments. It proposes that when considering recruiting information, the credibility of the information source, in terms of trustworthiness, expertise, integrity, and liking, will be positively related to the extent to which information from each source is used when judging the attractiveness of organizations. The results indicated that some sources are seen as more credible than others, and that this credibility is related to the use of information from that source. In addition, the dimensions of credibility most highly related to information use are different for interpersonal and institutional sources. The implications for employee recruiting research and practice are discussed.