Previous research on information privacy revealed several problems regarding survey measurement of information privacy concerns (IPCs) among the Internet users. The discussed problems mainly deal with nonuniform conceptualizations and lack of validity testing of the developed survey scales. To understand these issues, we performed a systematic literature review of the existing survey scales of IPCs in the Internet context. By utilizing the PRISMA statement, our search yielded 13 publications with 16 survey scales for IPCs. The results from a qualitative analysis of the definitions, theories, dimensionality and contexts, and an evaluation of the methods used in scale development show that greater efforts should have been made in concept specification when developing the survey scales, as only five scales were developed based on a clear theoretical framework. The results also unveiled a lack of adequate methods used for the specification and elicitation of the theoretical construct as well as a lack of testing the comprehensibility and comprehensiveness of the developed instruments in the target population. Based on these findings, greater precision, and theoretical rigor in the development of IPC survey scales and a greater use of qualitative methods to assess their content validity are necessary. Clearer specification of the measured concepts might improve the predictive validity of survey scales as well as help us better understand the effects of IPCs on the behavior of the Internet users.
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