DESVENDANDO A TEIA DA DESINFORMAÇÃO: UM ESTUDO BIBLIOMÉTRICO DE CINCO ANOS (2018-2022) SOBRE FAKE NEWS

In a scenario where formal communication channels and social media disseminate information exponentially, commonly referred to as the "infodemic," discerning the veracity of facts has become an escalating challenge. The era of post-truth and misinformation has introduced a new term, "Fake News," often driven by financial, competitive, and political interests. This study aimed to analyze the scientific production of the past five years (2018-2022) concerning misinformation and Fake News, with a focus on the field of Information Science. We employed bibliometric indicators and the VOSviewer software to measure scientific output. During the study period, a significant increase in the number of publications and citation volume was observed, indicating a growing interest among researchers in these themes. The results revealed that the United States leads in the number of publications, with Spain standing out as a significant content producer in Europe. We identified the formation of research networks between Spain, Brazil, and Portugal. Furthermore, promising perspectives for future research include the analysis of "misinformation," the investigation of the role of information professionals in combating misinformation, and the strengthening of information literacy.