Trust In Online Resources

More people use the internet than do not, and half (49%) say they know at least a fair amount about the world wide web, according to new research from MORI. The project, for the Common Information Environment (CIE) group, found the reputation of an organisation and the trustworthiness of the content of websites are important factors in determining people's attitudes towards online information resources.

A majority of users (80%) access the internet at home, and more than half (51%) say it is their preferred information source. Eight in 10 of those who have ever used the web say they have used it to search for specific information, and it is websites of more established organisations such as museums, libraries and archives which are more likely to be trusted by people. This is particularly in comparison to more commercial websites such as utility companies, travel agencies and internet-only retail companies.

Non-users of the internet fall into two broad categories: those for whom little would need to change to encourage them to get online -- cheaper ICT costs, easier access, better awareness about what is available on the web and, importantly, more confidence about using it -- and a 'hardcore' (amounting to approximately 15% of the population as a whole) whose non-use is genuinely related to indifference rather than access, cost or other issues.

Technical details

The MORI Social Research Institute carried out 2,004 interviews with members of the UK general public aged 16+, face-to-face, in-home between 13 October and 18 November 2004. This included 1,393 respondents who have ever used the web (1,265 current and 128 lapsed users) and 585 who have never used it.