Information Quality Research Challenge: Adapting Information Quality Principles to User-generated Content

Traditionally, information quality (IQ) research assumes organizational settings in which information production (e.g., internal, by external organizations/customers) is well-controlled and serves well-defined purposes. IQ research draws extensively on the manufacturing paradigm, treating information as a product and its quality as the extent to which information at hand fits consumer requirements [Ballou et al. 1998; Talburt et al. 2014; Wang and Strong 1996]. In a typical organizational environment, users who create data, professionals who curate it, and users who consume it are
encouraged to closely coordinate activities [Lee and Strong 2003]. Although information production in corporate settings remains vitally important, organizations increasingly seek to harness data created beyond their boundaries. Of particular interest is User-Generated Content (UGC)—data produced by members of the general public rather than by employees or others closely associated with the organization. A major source of UGC is social networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter); other sources include crowdsourcing (wherein users create content for specific purposes), product reviews, casual comments, tags, and annotated maps. In addition, a valuable
complement of UGC is sensor data (e.g., user geolocations) transmitted by the devices (e.g., mobile, wearables) used to create data. Information produced by people with no formal links to an organization is a new, increasingly important, but poorly understood, addition to the IQ landscape.

Lukyanenko, R. and Parsons J. (2015). Information Quality Research Challenge: Adapting Information Quality Principles to User-generated Content. ACM Journal of Data and Information Quality (ACM JDIQ), 6 (3), pp. 1-3.