A Fact Checking Tool to Enhance Election Information Accuracy for Social Media Users
(2024)
(2024)
Team Based Project
Timeline:
5 weeks
5 weeks
The study examined how information availability and preferred media sources influence voting choices, focusing on a solution that helps users rate news accuracy to combat misinformation and support informed political decisions.
The study examined how information availability and preferred media sources influence voting choices, focusing on a solution that helps users rate news accuracy to combat misinformation and support informed political decisions.
Role
Research
Ideation
Prototype
Usability Testing
Research
Ideation
Prototype
Usability Testing
Tools
Figma
Otter.ai
Miro
SPSS
MS Forms
Team
Paulina Ramirez Nicolette Catalan
Mai Nguyen
Paulina Ramirez
Nicolette Catalan
Matias Erminyi
Mai Nguyen
See full case study on desktop.
Background
See full case study on desktop.
News outlets, especially on social media, are primary sources of news, but they often spread misleading information through sensational headlines, impacting public perception, especially in politics. This case study explores the potential of a solution that allows users to rate news accuracy, focusing on political information, to combat misinformation and help users make informed decisions.
Problem Statement
To answer our research question, it is important to explore the impact of candidate information accessibility, and its effects on election outcomes. We do this by investigating whether being better informed about candidates encourages voter turnout or if it has the opposite effect while exploring what sources voters access their information.
Research
We conducted semi-structured interviews with five eligible New Zealand voters to explore their perspectives on local elections and how information accessibility influences their voting decisions. Each 15-20 minute interview was recorded with consent.
Additionally, we surveyed over 20 participants via Microsoft Forms to determine the most effective media for voter information. The survey examined the impact of information availability on election outcomes, voter engagement, access to candidate information, understanding of policies, and the effects of information overload. Initial analysis was done using Microsoft Forms, followed by in-depth statistical analysis with SPSS.
5
in-person interviews
20
survey responses
Insights
1.
2.
Local government candidates should embrace social media to engage with younger voters and meet their need for accessible information.
3.
Despite individual voters' doubts about their influence, collective action can lead to positive changes in the community.
4.
Voters seeking validation from similar-minded peers may reinforce their biases, despite wanting change.
The plugin, represented by a flashlight icon, signifies our effort to shed light on the truth and help users navigate the widespread misinformation.
Fact-checking Tool
Influences of Pre-existing Solutions
As of 2025, Meta (formerly Facebook) replaced its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S. with "Community Notes," where users add and review context on misleading posts. This change aims to promote free expression and reduce moderation errors.
Therefore, the previous process where users could flag posts for potential misinformation to be reviewed by third-party fact-checkers, resulting in labeled content with additional context, is no longer in place.
X (formerly Twitter)
X (formerly Twitter) uses Community Notes, a crowd-sourced fact-checking feature, to add context or corrections to misleading posts. Notes are reviewed by users for accuracy before becoming public. While helpful, the feature faces challenges, such as delays and limited reach of corrections compared to the original content.
PolitiFact
PolitiFact, a fact-checking website for American politics, uses a scale from ‘True’ to ‘Pants on Fire’ to rate statement accuracy based on evidence and expert opinions. This system provides reliable information, promotes independent research, and influenced our solution due to the trust users place in it. Many users find the ratings time-saving, and interviews revealed that PolitiFact’s scale is especially valuable since people often skip their own fact-checking.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a typing assistant that reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clarity, detects plagiarism, and suggests improvements. Available as an online editor, desktop app, mobile app, and browser extension, it enhances writing unobtrusively. Our group values Grammarly for catching overlooked mistakes, particularly its tone detection feature, which uses emojis to indicate writing appropriateness. Its helpfulness and low user expectations contribute to its positive reputation.