Lift the veil of rumors: the impact of the characteristics of information sources on the effectiveness of rumors spreading
本研究通过定性和定量方法，发现信息来源的可信度、专业性、吸引力、神秘性和具体性这五个特征会影响不同类型谣言的传播效果，对政策制定者和平台运营者抑制谣言传播有实际意义。
Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impacts of rumors' information characteristics on people's believing and spreading of rumors online. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a mixed-methods approach by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. In study 1, the authors explored different types of rumors and their information source characteristics through qualitative research. In study 2, the authors utilized the findings from study 1 to develop an empirical model to verify the impact of these characteristics on the public's behaviors of believing and spreading rumors by content analysis and quantitative research. Findings The results show that five information source characteristics – credibility, professionalism, attractiveness, mystery and concreteness – influence the spreading effect of different types of rumors. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to rumor spreading research by deepening the theory of information source characteristics and adding to the emerging literature on the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications Insights from this research offer important practical implications for policymakers and online-platform operators by highlighting how to suppress the spread of rumors, particularly those associated with COVID-19. Originality/value This research introduces the theory of information source characteristics into the field of rumor spreading and adopts a mixed-methods approach, taking COVID-19 rumors as a typical case, which provides a unique perspective for a deeper understanding of rumor spreading's antecedences.