The Intended Uses of Automated Fact-Checking Artefacts: Why, How and Who
Submission Type: Regular Long Paper
Submission Track: Ethics in NLP
Submission Track 2: Computational Social Science and Cultural Analytics
Keywords: fact-checking, automated fact-checking, content analysis, intended use, natural language processing, artefacts
TL;DR: We find that many papers on automated fact-checking are too vague when discussing intended use, and give recommendations to clarify discussion
Abstract: Automated fact-checking is often presented as an epistemic tool that fact-checkers, social media consumers, and other stakeholders can use to fight misinformation. Nevertheless, few papers thoroughly discuss \textit{how}. We document this by analysing 100 highly-cited papers, and annotating epistemic elements related to intended use, i.e.,\ means, ends, and stakeholders. We find that narratives leaving out some of these aspects are common, that many papers propose inconsistent means and ends, and that the feasibility of suggested strategies rarely has empirical backing. We argue that this vagueness actively hinders the technology from reaching its goals, as it encourages overclaiming, limits criticism, and prevents stakeholder feedback. Accordingly, we provide several recommendations for thinking and writing about the use of fact-checking artefacts.
Submission Number: 155
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