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Misinformation

Translation
Oluyemi Ayanbode

The Negative Impacts of Misinformation on Knowledge Economy: Implications for Academic Libraries and Knowledge Infrastructures

Misinformation poses a significant threat to the knowledge economy, undermining trust, distorting markets, hindering innovation and eroding the credibility of scientific research. The knowledge economy relies on the free flow of credible information, but misinformation and disinformation can disrupt this process, leading to measurable welfare losses. We conducted a semi-systematic literature review of 11 scientific articles on misinformation and knowledge economy. Findings reveal that misinformation has negative impacts on: epistemic trust, markets and productivity, innovation systems, human capital formation, and higher education. Furthermore, academic libraries play a crucial role in mitigating these effects by promoting information literacy, defending their role as trustworthy intermediaries, and collaborating with other knowledge-producing institutions. By recognizing libraries as core infrastructures of the knowledge economy, we can work towards sustaining the integrity and productivity of the global knowledge economy. This study concludes by highlighting the role of academic libraries in promoting information literacy and combating misinformation, particularly in emerging knowledge economies.

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EducationFeaturedOpinion
Elisa Tattersall Wallin

How Will You Respond to the Unacceptable Costs of GenAI?

We must remember that those who profit the most from our growing reliance of GenAI are the tech companies themselves. Meanwhile, the people who are the most excited about AI are the ones who understand it the least. While machine learning can be useful, I argue that GenAI comes at an unacceptable cost. Taking in to consideration GenAI’s role in the spread of disinformation, the complex damages caused to people and the planet along with the proven negative effect to cognitive skills among users, this text advocates for critical perspectives, and ideally, critical refusal of GenAI.

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FeaturedTranslation
Chelsea Peterson-Salahuddin

How Information Objects Can Create Information Inequity

Information plays an important role in helping people make informed decisions and advocate for themselves socially, economically, and politically. However, not everyone has fair or equitable access to information. Information science scholars term this information inequity—the individual and societal factors that limit an individual, group, or nation’s access to information. Addressing information inequities by identifying and rectifying their causes is essential to helping all people fully participate in our society and democratic system.

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FeaturedTranslation
Prof. Xiao-Liang Shen

Can Anti-Rumor Campaigns Foster Positive Behavioral Change?

In an age where social media is pervasive and misinformation is rampant, maintaining a healthy online environment is crucial for curbing the spread of unverified rumors. Social media platforms often employ anti-rumor campaigns to foster a positive public atmosphere. However, a fundamental question remains: can these initiatives truly resonate with the public and prompt positive behavioral change? Do such campaigns have the power to influence people’s thoughts and actions in their daily lives?

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FeaturedTranslation
Frans van der Sluis

How Everyone Can Agree on What Counts as Quality Information

It’s tricky for people to agree on what counts as quality information. We see this every day with echo chambers on social media, where everyone has their own idea of what’s true or important. This suggests that information quality is a product of our own, individual minds—one that is best captured in “like,” “love,” “haha,” and “wow” buttons on social media. But our research suggests there’s a way to get people on the same page about information quality, and it involves making some changes to how we assess and share information online.

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