Understanding credibility: toward a networked evidence model of health information
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31iConf64184Keywords:
Health information practices, Credible authorityAbstract
Introduction. Severe health issues trigger urgent information needs, yet digital environments complicate judgments of what counts as credible evidence. Traditional authority rooted in medical expertise now intersects with peer testimony, platform structures, and algorithmic curation.
Method. We analysed qualitative interviews with 23 parents whose children contracted COVID-19, extending Uncertainty in Illness Theory (UIT) by reinterpreting the concept of ‘credible authority’ through a new theoretical lens.
Analysis. Using an abductive, theory-building approach and a crystallisation immersion method, we examined how parents enacted epistemic practices in digital health contexts.
Results. We propose the networked evidence model (NEM), which shows that health information is actively organised, validated, circulated, and trusted within socio-technical systems. Evidence was shaped through alignment across institutional expertise, testimonial resonance, and platform signals.
Conclusion. NEM reframes credible authority as a networked accomplishment, advancing information science and informing the design of systems that promote equitable, transparent, and trustworthy access to health knowledge.
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