Content analysis dataset of health and science-related hoaxes during COVID-19 in Spain

This dataset contains the coding of content analysis of a sample of hoaxes debunked by three fact checkers in Spain (N = 533): Maldita.es (N = 327), Newtral (N = 143), and EFE Verifica (N = 63). Coding includes de following variables:

       0. Subject of the hoax: science/health, politics/government, other. 

Platform used to spread the hoax: networks (in general), Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and others.

Formats used: text, audio, image, video, other.

Geographical scope: local, national, international, unspecified/not applicable.

Type of hoax: joke, exaggeration, decontextualization, deception.

Topic of hoaxes related to science/health: scientific research, scientific policy and health management, advice issued to the public, and others.

Topic of hoaxes related to scientific research: origin of the virus, transmissibility, fatality rate, treatments, vaccines, etc.

Source type: anonymous, spoofed, fictitious, real.

Non-anonymous sources: members of the public, business, government, professional, healthcare/science.

Type of healthcare/science sources: researchers, international scientific organizations, national scientific organizations, health professionals, and others.