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Credibility evaluation of scientific information on websites: Designing and evaluating an exploratory model

The present study aimed to develop a literature-based and expert-modified model for credibility evaluation of scientific web information in order to be used for academic purposes by utilizing a mixed heuristic method. First, meta-synthesis was applied to design a conceptual model. In terms of its usability, the model was evaluated by a sample of student users in five top universities of Iran. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20.0 and LISREL 8.7 for Structural Equation Modelling. Based on the seven-stage meta-synthesis, a conceptual model, including 68 indicators, 14 components, and two main dimensions was identified. The model was confirmed by the sample experts by considering the high degree of Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and the agreement percentage of most dimensions of the model which were 0.67 and higher than 90%, respectively. Next, the results of confirmatory factor analysis were analyzed according to the structural model and indices related to the goodness of fit in order to ensure a high quality respecting measuring the identified variables. Based on data analysis, the variables were of high quality in the studied context although there were some differences among the dimensions. The results further revealed that credibility evaluation is a concept with different and multiple dimensions and components suitable for users, designers, and policymakers which should be considered in designing and evaluating web resources.