FSU School of Information (iSchool) faculty published a new research paper titled “How do mothers exchange parenting-related information in online communities? A Metasynthesis.” The paper has been accepted for publication in Computers in Human Behavior, a journal focused on the use of computers from a psychological perspective.

“This study helped us better understand how mothers exchange pregnancy and parenting-related information in online communities as well as their informational and emotional interactions between the online world and the offline world,” said iSchool Associate Professor Zhe He.

He and Professor Gary Burnett collaborated on the project alongside Juan Xie and Ying Cheng. Juan Xie, a doctoral student in the Nanjing University School of Information Management, participated in this project while serving as a visiting scholar at FSU iSchool. Ying Cheng is Xie’s advisor at Nanjing University.

Their study is a meta-synthesis, focusing on the quality and accuracy of pregnancy and parenting information shared online by fellow mothers. Using 39 relevant studies, the researchers observed patterns in mother’s information exchange online.

The inspiration behind this study stems from a growing concern among information and health professionals about the legitimacy of health advice shared online as virtual social conversations increase.

He said, “The findings of this study can inform the provision of health information services to mothers to better meet their needs.”

You can read more about this research and the published paper here.