Effects of Sponsorship, Web Site Design, and Google Ranking on the Credibility of Online Information

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12449750
AutoresAxel Westerwick (School of Communication; The Ohio State University; 154 N. Oval Mall; Columbus; Ohio; 43210, autor correspondente)
Ano2013
Volume18
Fascículo2
Páginas80-97
Data de publicação2013-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1083-6101 • E-ISSN: 1083-6101
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jcc4.12006
OpenAlexW2092270990
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas16
Referências citadas41

Online searches for reliable information present a challenge, given the enormous amount of information and variety of sources—many questionable sources offer information on Web sites with an appealing design, which may signal high credibility through appearance. Drawing on a persuasion perspective, conceptualizations for online information credibility, and information foraging theory, a main experiment (n = 574) and a follow-up study (n = 293) examined influences of Web site sponsorship, Web site design appeal, and search engine ranking on online information credibility. Results show that sponsor credibility affected information assessment, whereas a more appealing Web site design could not compensate for low sponsor credibility. Additionally, a high search-engine ranking increased sponsor credibility and thus influenced information credibility indirectly

Credibility · Information retrieval · Internet privacy · Online search · Persuasion · Political science · Ranking (information retrieval · Source credibility · The Internet · Variety (cybernetics · Web site · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology