Author(s)

Fengming Liu, Chunhua Gao

Corresponding Author

Fengming Liu

ABSTRACT

Rumor is a kind of complex social phenomenon. With the help of the Internet, rumors spread faster and have a wider range of influence. However, the definition of rumor varies, and it is only suitable for specific social environment and practical application, which is not accepted by academic circles. To meet the needs of academic research, it is urgent to define the connotation of rumors and give a standardized and unified definition. Firstly, this paper collects and sorts out some concepts of rumor and definition of Internet rumors, analyzes and sorts out the key elements among them, and constructs a rumor keyword database. Secondly, it summarizes the overall characteristics of rumors and puts forward an adaptive definition of rumors, which lays a foundation for the academic research of rumors.

KEYWORDS

Rumor; Internet rumor; definition; keyword database