Trust is a focal construct in management, organisational psychology, marketing, and social science fields. In the Information Systems field, researchers have shown an increasing awareness of how it contributes towards the success of virtual environments. However, studies indicate that there is much conceptual and operational confusion surrounding the construct. The objective of this paper is to reduce that confusion by outlining a number of issues that must be considered when researching trust in a computer-mediated environment. This review provides researchers with a refined and holistic understanding of the construct and consequently makes a valuable contribution not only to information systems research but also to the overall body of marketing, trust and diffusion research. Copyright © 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.