Informationalrelying

Informationalrelying is a neologism in information science and discourse studies that describes the practice of basing judgments, decisions, or beliefs on information resources. It centers on how the quality, provenance, and transparency of information shape outcomes, rather than on personal authority, tradition, or anecdote alone.

It is used across domains such as journalism, science, policy analysis, business analytics, and personal decision making. Practitioners examine the reliability of sources, compare data from multiple origins, and consider uncertainty and limitations embedded in the information. Informationalrelying also implies ongoing evaluation as new information becomes available.

Key characteristics include provenance tracking, source credibility assessment, cross-checking with independent data, explicit acknowledgment of uncertainty, and timely updating when new evidence emerges.

Benefits include more informed, evidence-based decisions and improved risk assessment; drawbacks include vulnerability to misrepresented data, cognitive overload, and biased reliance on familiar sources. Ethical considerations emphasize transparency about sources and potential conflicts of interest.

Best practices involve using diverse credible sources, citing evidence, documenting assumptions, and maintaining an audit trail for verification. In organizational settings, governance around information quality and data provenance supports responsible informationalrelying.

See also: information literacy, source credibility, data provenance, evidential reasoning, misinformation, critical thinking.