Finding Credible Information: A Challenge to Students Writing Academic Essays

Abstract

This study focuses on how students assess the credibility of scientific information in web-based environments. What importance do students attach to different cues when assessing credibility? The aim is to investigate whether the framework suggested by Fogg (2002; 2003; Tseng & Fogg 1999a; 1999b), which comprises four types of web credibility (presumed, reputed, surface and earned credibility), can be of use in this specific context to increase the understanding of how essay-writing students assess the credibility of scientific information in web-based environments.

A questionnaire concerning students’ search behaviour and their evaluation of information was answered by 144 students (110 women and 34 men) at a Swedish university. Descriptive statistics were used during the data processing.

The students were asked to rate the credibility of 24 elements. They attached most importance to the following elements: Year of publication, Teachers’ recommendations, Abstract, and Established researcher. These elements represented all four types in Fogg’s framework. The elements that concerned earned credibility – based on first hand experience – were noted as comparatively more important by the respondents.