Assessing the credibility of Web information by university students: findings from a case study in Iran

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how university students assess the credibility of diverse information available on the Web. Design/methodology/approach This paper used applied study and was conducted using the survey-descriptive method. Using a randomized stratified sampling method and the Cochran sampling formula, a sample including 380 student participants was selected from Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. Data were gathered by administrating a validated questionnaire including eight components of ethics, writing style, website appearance, website identity, professional information, accuracy, usability and interaction. Data were analyzed by software SPSS 20.0 and LISREL 8.7. Findings Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling indicated that the overall framework is reliable according to the goodness of fit indices for the measurement and structural models showing a high quality on measuring the variable in the context studied. Findings also showed that the components usability, interaction, accuracy, website appearance, writing style, professional information, ethics and website identity had the standard relevance. Practical implications Users paid more attention to semantic- and expertise-related features compared to characteristics of the source and its authority. Such preference should be taken into account by providers when producing information and students when evaluating information. Originality/value The framework underlying this research had the required quality incorporating a set of most important criteria for exploring Web information evaluation behavior by the students, which is also useful for future related studies.