Abstract

Due to the fact that cognitive authority influences an individual's thoughts so that a given information is perceived as appropriate, people evaluate information based on their cognitive authority. The purpose of the present study is to examine the perception of the cognitive authority of online information sources used by college students to carry out their academic tasks, and to determine whether such perceptions affect the quality assessment of information sources, such as webpages, e-journals, and Wikipedia,. Specifically, we measured how cognitive authority, which were formed by the author, the surface, and the content of an information source influenced its accuracy, usefulness, completeness, and expertise. For this purpose, online surveys were conducted with college students, and 172 valid responses were obtained. Findings indicated that all the characteristics that formed the cognitive authority of an information source had significant impacts on its accuracy, usefulness, completeness, and expertise. The study suggests academic implications that confirm the associations between cognitive authority and credibility of information in the context of online information sources. Furthermore, the study provides practical implications that system developers or operators of information sources need to consider diverse factors that affect their cognitive authority to promote users' trust on the information that they deliver.