Health Misinformation Working Group
Chair: Adi Cohen
Members: Wafaa Heikal, Emily Ndulue, Nat Gyenes
Past members: Rick Weiss, Emmanuel Vincent, George Linzer
The CredCo Health Misinformation working group aims to generate and answer research questions that further develop the understanding of how health misinformation online can be addressed, using mixed-methods research tools.
The main objective of this working group is to compare which indicators health information consumers rely on to address the credibility of health content. In doing so, we aim to build upon existing credibility indicator research by addressing the perception of credibility of health content online.
The topics we will focus on may include:
- Identifying discrepancies in health information access and traditions that lead to disinformation
- Addressing trust in health systems, articles, websites, and how this relates to health information access and health outcomes
- Comparing perceptions of credibility between academics and the general population consuming health-specific media content online
- Evaluating health misinformation credibility in a variety of platforms and formats: News, Blogs, posts on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook
- Documenting health-specific credibility indicators
- Source-to-consumer-to-peer transmission of health information online, identifying where in this chain misinformation is most likely to enter. Comparing users’ assessment of the credibility of the original source and the credibility of a peer consumer’s report on the same information.
Deliverables will include:
- A blog post for the CredCo, with possibility for content submission to a journal
- Defining research questions and methods that will lead to health-relevant indicators
This working group is currently scheduled to meet for a 6 month time period: from Sept, 2018 until March, 2019, unless otherwise lengthened.
Timely delivery of the products mentioned above, participation in working groups, positively contributing to working group discussions and actively sharing findings with the broader CredCo community are indicators of success.
- Submission of initial research overview and proposal.
- Written description of research methods for possible replication in other misinformation verticals.
- Submission of blog post to CredCo.
- Submission of health-misinformation indicators based on our research to CredCo.
All of our working documents will be kept private for the 6 month duration of this working group. We will produce public-facing summaries that can be shared with the wider CredCo community.
The Health Misinformation Working Group will be holding weekly meetings. We also have a Slack channel for regular communications, research brainstorming and sharing of relevant resources.
Any interested new participants can join the group at any time. The purpose and research agenda of the group is defined by this document and will only be changed with the approval of all group members,
Anyone can join the working group after reviewing and consenting to the working group charter. Any interested new participants can email someone already involved for more information.
