Our current information ecosystem makes it easier for misinformation about science to spread and harder for people to figure out what is scientifically accurate. Proactive solutions are needed to address misinformation about science, an issue of public concern given its potential to cause harm at individual, community, and societal levels.…

Background and Objectives: Short video platforms have become one of the most common methods for disseminating medical information on social media. We analysed gastrointestinal (GI)-related content on TikTok, focusing on the creators' background, patterns of content utilisation and overall content quality and understandability, using validated…

The rise of social media platforms and subsequent lack of traditional gatekeeping mechanisms have enabled the proliferation of scientific disinformation. Users attempting to properly evaluate scientific information and disinformation are immensely obstructed by media communication mechanisms such as filter bubbles and echo chambers. Given the…

Many people use technological tools that are widely accessible, respond quickly, and have extensive information networks today. Due to recent technological advances in education and the increasing acceptance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, the issues regarding their implementation in education require identification and analysis.…

If we live in a knowledge economy (Ford, 2021), then information literacy is a key to understanding the world and how we can shape it. Recently, there has been a renewed focus on information literacy (IL) as it pertains to misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda in both academics and popular media. However, most of the attention has been…

Reflecting on a course in scholarly communication, this short article aims to show not only that scholarly communication is essential for a career in academic libraries, but also that the understanding of how researchers work, publish, and disseminate research findings plays an important role in combating disinformation and misinformation. The…

Alongside climate change, democracy, and public health, digital disinformation and misinformation, or "digital dismisinfo," stands among the most pressing of global challenges. But how are societies responding to that challenge? Who are the key actors, what solutions do they propose or enact, and how does their work interact with that of…

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the joint effect of two core message elements -- authoritative source and argument strength -- in correction tweets to counter conspiratorial misinformation about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Design/Method: An online experiment with US residents (N = 404) was conducted in a 2 (authoritative…

The rapid spread of health misinformation on social media poses significant challenges to public health crisis. Mpox misinformation has portrayed it as exclusively a sexually transmitted infection, resulting in misperceptions about infection risk and stigmatization of affected groups. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different…

Misinformation is a global pandemic, fueled by the sophistication of the human intellect, algorithmic systems among other factors. Enhanced by the proliferation of algorithms optimized for engagement and reactions on social media, misinformation has ignited or hampered sociopolitical participation and movements and dissuaded citizens from being…

"I got the vaccine, and it gave me COVID!" said the elderly woman who was vaccinated the day prior to her emergency department visit. A woman in her 50s, sitting at the bedside of her husband who is profoundly short of breath and barely able to speak due to COVID, states that neither of them will ever get vaccinated because "We…

Misinformation has been extensively studied as both maliciously intended propaganda and accidentally experienced incorrect assumptions. We contend that "conceptual contamination" is the process by which the learning of incorrect information interferes, pollutes, or otherwise disrupts the learning of correct information. This is similar…

The emergence of 'post-truth' is often associated with the rise of conspiracy theories and the lack of trust in scientific knowledge. This article attempts to theorise the complex division of labour in this regime of 'post-truth', with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic/infodemic. First, we argue that the 'post-truth' condition mirrors what…

Since time immemorial, disasters have been part and parcel of the human experience; hence the ever-present need for disaster management. These disasters can take place everywhere and at any time, including institutions of higher education. The use of social media platforms as a tool for disaster management has gained traction in recent years due…

Purpose: Research shows that there are mechanisms of information simplification that lead to the danger that first, laypeople rely on their own epistemological skills when assessing scientific claims. Second, laypeople underestimate their dependence on experts when they receive simplified information. This underestimation can be problematic…