A conceptual model of trust inducing features for web mediated information environment in sensitive information context / Emma Nuraihan Mior Ibrahim

Trust aspects of commercial transactions have long become embedded in the custom and practices within the e-tailing environment. However, consumers are not only involved in the interpersonal or inter-organizational transaction within the electronic exchange model but also in the knowledge transactions and exchanges within the information exchange mode. This research proposed the term web mediated information environment (W-MIE) by referring to the activities involved in acquiring, seeking and disseminating information on the web as a result of the growing number of informational websites. It is noted, trust in W-MIE is fairly new and risks associated with it are novel to users. Hence the aim of this research is to address on how to impose the sense of "legitimacy" in the design of an information artefact which can be rationalized and control as part of the overall interface design strategy and future information systems (IS) construction for sensitive context. Drawing the attention to the "soft" dimensions of trust, we seek to fill in the gap by explicate the role of trust from the institutional theory and semiotic paradigm to maximize the "goodness of fit" for future IS construction through the analysis of its social context, pragmatic and semantic levels of signification. We contend that institutional design features could make the alignment between formal and informal signs of trust to match their meanings through shared norms, assumptions, beliefs and perceptions. The conceptual model of Institutional Symbolism Trust Inducing Features and its four underlying dimensions (content credibility, emotional assurance, third party/ seals of approval and brand/reputation) are developed to facilitate thinking and perception as how trust can be built and design through signs comprehension. The research uses psychological method to evoke user's mental model via card sorting technique to explore on users trust perception of institutional signs operationalized in web based information for Islamic content sharing sites. It was then further investigated for its semantical meaning via qualitative inquiry which uses the semi-structured interview technique. The results indicate the elements of content trustworthy (truth, validity), content legitimacy (lawful, evidential), content presentation (appearance, functionality), site benevolence (goodwill), site integrity (security application and enforcement), demonstrating user's satisfaction, guarantees and safety nets, information practices, ethics(obligations), expertness (authority, knowledge) and familiarity (general business sense) which depicts the connotations of "online legitimacy". This thesis provides contributions in terms of construct development of online trust elements and theoretical generation within the domain of W-MIE and operationalized in the web based for Islamic content sharing sites which extend the literature of trust aspects and in the wider HCI scope to provoke further arguments and comparative judgments. The outcome will be benefits for designers design guidance for trust elements placement on the web, cultural embedded design features and effective security and privacy protecting behaviors for those who would want to involve in acquiring, communicating Islamic knowledge or information on the web.