Developing a Scale for Credibility Assessment on Interactive Web Platforms

Funded by UWM to develop a psychometric scale to measure pereceived credibility of online information created by anonymous users and GenAI bots on the web. 2023 ($2,451)

Project Description

The project focuses on the credibility of online information, commonly referred to as web credibility. In today’s rapidly evolving online landscape, where content generated by anonymous users and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered bots circulates freely, web credibility plays a crucial role in the process of seeking and using information. Given the abstract and perceptual nature of credibility, a validated psychometric instrument is needed to measure credibility, which would allow improve knowledge on how web users judge the credibility of online information and how that judgement is associated with their information behaviors on the web, such as selecting an online source over alternatives, accepting advice on the web, and sharing online information with others. Although some credibility scales have been developed, mainly in the interpersonal communication context, there is lack of research on developing and validating a scale for measuring information web credibility on interactive social platforms, such as peer-knowledge production communities (e.g., Reddit, Wikipedia, Stack Exchange), microblogs (e.g., Twitter), and image- and video-sharing sites (e.g., Instagram, YouTube). This project aims to address this gap in the literature.

Research Team

  • Wonchan Choi, PI, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) iSchool
  • Liya Zhu, RA, PhD Student, UWM iSchool

Funding Information

  • Program: UWM Research Assistance Fund
  • Period: 2023
  • Funds $2,451