ABSTRACT Two-by-two grid showing how antecedents of trust and conversation patterns intersect to produce trust in shared data. Transboundary water governance has been shown to require information sharing and trust among participants; yet, we know little about factors influencing trust in shared data. We address this gap by developing a conceptual framework explaining how antecedents of trust and conversation patterns combine to produce epistemic trust. We theorize that interpersonal trust mediates epistemic trust: participants trust data by trusting people. We illustrate this framework using interviews with participants in the governance of two US transboundary aquifers: Snake Valley and Sparta-Memphis. Findings reveal three mechanisms linking trust to agreement to use data in shared governance: trust enables vulnerability in information sharing; trust progression enables shared interpretive frameworks; and interpersonal trust shapes perceptions of data credibility, salience, and legitimacy. Positive antecedents and conversation patterns together produce data trust and agreement, while negative antecedents and patterns produce distrust and disagreement. When antecedents and patterns diverge, outcomes vary based on process inclusion, alternative information access, and outcome stakes. Our framework advances trust theory by demonstrating that antecedents and patterns are independent factors both required for knowledge sharing in contested governance settings. It also provides a diagnostic tool to identify potential challenges and inform strategies for building epistemic trust in transboundary water governance.
Manshardt et al. (Tue,) studied this question.