A study by Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab and Sliced Bread Design:
"With more than 50 percent of the U.S. population having Internet access, the World Wide Web has become an important channel for providing information and services. As the Web becomes a part of people's everyday lives-booking travel, finding health information, buying products — there is a growing need to help people figure out whether a Web site is credible or not: Can I trust the information on this site? Can I trust in the services this site describes?"
ConsumerWebWatch: How Do People Evaluate a Web Site's Credibility?