Credibility judgement and verification behavior on online information
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Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Dodoma
Abstract
Judging the credibility of information that is found online is very crucial, because on the internet there are platforms which contain misinformation, though they may look trustworthy. Editorial policies regarding the majority of information posted online are non-existent, unknown or ambiguous. Thus, developing the skills to evaluate web-based information is crucial for internet users. There is a need to understand how information seekers in Tanzania do prepared for this responsibility and to understand weather they have trouble determining the credibility of online information. Thus, this study aims at finding out to what extent do users care about judging the credibility of information that is found online. Methods of data collection used in this study were a structured questionnaire and Literature review. Questionnaire was used to explore the extent to which user care about judging credibility of information found online, whereas literature was used to describe the verification strategies used. Findings indicate that information seekers in general do not care judging credibility of online information meaning that users do not often conduct critical evaluation on information that is found online. Therefore, this study recommends that learners and people who use internet as their major source of information must be trained and be prepared to use their skills and effort in judging the credibility of information that are found online, because on online platforms there is a possibility of encountering low quality information.
Description
Dissertation (MSc Computer Science)
Keywords
Online information, Credibility judgement, Online information evaluation, Information, Information evaluation
Citation
Kilombele, J. (2016). Credibility judgement and verification behavior on online information. Dodoma: The University of Dodoma