College student web use, perceptions of information credibility, and verification behavior

  • Authors:

  • Miriam J. Metzger;Andrew J. Flanagin;Lara Zwarun

  • Affiliations:

  • University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Communication, Ellison Hall, Santa Barbara, CA;University of California, Santa Barbara, Department of Communication, Ellison Hall, Santa Barbara, CA;Department of Communication, University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19107, Arlington, TX

  • Venue:
  • Computers & Education
  • Year:
  • 2003

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Abstract

Concerns about the potentially dubious nature of online information and users' ability to evaluate it appropriately prompted this research on college students' use of Web-based information, their perceptions of information credibility, and their online verification behaviors. Two studies were conducted to address these issues. Results of the first study show that college students rely very heavily on the Web for both general and academic information, and that they expect this usage to increase over time. Results of the second study indicate that students find information to be more credible than do those from a more general adult population, across several media and considering many different types of information. Nonetheless, students verify the information they find online significantly less. Implications are discussed in light of current efforts of educators to improve Internet literacy.