Search results
1 – 10 of over 12000A ‘World Wide Web search engine’ is defined as a retrieval service, consisting of a database (or databases) describing mainly resources available on the World Wide Web (WWW)…
Abstract
A ‘World Wide Web search engine’ is defined as a retrieval service, consisting of a database (or databases) describing mainly resources available on the World Wide Web (WWW), search software and a user interface also available via WWW. After intro ducing early Internet search engines, which are pertinent as precursors for the current range of WWW search engines, the problems of searching the WWW (link persistence, lack of integrated search software) and the resulting search engine types (keyword or directory) are analysed. Search engines of all types are then compared across their generic features (database content, retrieval software, and search interface), rather than on a search engine by search engine basis. Finally, wider information access issues aris ing from the nature of the Internet and web search engines are considered, and a general strategy for using web search engines is proposed.
Mary L. Robinson and Judith Wusteman
To describe a small‐scale quantitative evaluation of the scholarly information search engine, Google Scholar.
Abstract
Purpose
To describe a small‐scale quantitative evaluation of the scholarly information search engine, Google Scholar.
Design/methodology/approach
Google Scholar's ability to retrieve scholarly information was compared to that of three popular search engines: Ask.com, Google and Yahoo! Test queries were presented to all four search engines and the following measures were used to compare them: precision; Vaughan's Quality of Result Ranking; relative recall; and Vaughan's Ability to Retrieve Top Ranked Pages.
Findings
Significant differences were found in the ability to retrieve top ranked pages between Ask.com and Google and between Ask.com and Google Scholar for scientific queries. No other significant differences were found between the search engines. This may be due to the relatively small sample size of eight queries. Results suggest that, for scientific queries, Google Scholar has the highest precision, relative recall and Ability to Retrieve Top Ranked Pages. However, it achieved the lowest score for these three measures for non‐scientific queries. The best overall score for all four measures was achieved by Google. Vaughan's Quality of Result Ranking found a significant correlation between Google and scientific queries.
Research limitations/implications
As with any search engine evaluation, the results pertain only to performance at the time of the study and must be considered in light of any subsequent changes in the search engine's configuration or functioning. Also, the relatively small sample size limits the scope of the study's findings.
Practical implications
These results suggest that, although Google Scholar may prove useful to those in scientific disciplines, further development is necessary if it is to be useful to the scholarly community in general.
Originality/value
This is a preliminary study in applying the accepted performance measures of precision and recall to Google Scholar. It provides information specialists and users with an objective evaluation of Google Scholar's abilities across both scientific and non‐scientific disciplines and paves the way for a larger study.
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Dirk Lewandowski and Sebastian Sünkler
The purpose of this paper is to describe a new method to improve the analysis of search engine results by considering the provider level as well as the domain level. This approach…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a new method to improve the analysis of search engine results by considering the provider level as well as the domain level. This approach is tested by conducting a study using queries on the topic of insurance comparisons.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an empirical study that analyses the results of search queries aimed at comparing insurance companies. The authors used a self-developed software system that automatically queries commercial search engines and automatically extracts the content of the returned result pages for further data analysis. The data analysis was carried out using the KNIME Analytics Platform.
Findings
Google’s top search results are served by only a few providers that frequently appear in these results. The authors show that some providers operate several domains on the same topic and that these domains appear for the same queries in the result lists.
Research limitations/implications
The authors demonstrate the feasibility of this approach and draw conclusions for further investigations from the empirical study. However, the study is a limited use case based on a limited number of search queries.
Originality/value
The proposed method allows large-scale analysis of the composition of the top results from commercial search engines. It allows using valid empirical data to determine what users actually see on the search engine result pages.
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Karen A. Hartman and Laura Bowering Mullen
This paper aims to update the authors' original 2005 study of Google Scholar's integration into ARL libraries' web sites. Have more ARL libraries added Google Scholar?
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to update the authors' original 2005 study of Google Scholar's integration into ARL libraries' web sites. Have more ARL libraries added Google Scholar?
Design/methodology/approach
The library homepages of the 113 ARL academic institutions were examined for paths or links to Google Scholar. The coding scheme focused on noting whether Google Scholar appeared on the library homepage, in the OPAC, and on various database lists and subject guides.
Findings
The 2007 data indicate continued acceptance of Google Scholar and integration of this resource on the web pages of ARL libraries. The mean number of paths to Google Scholar more than doubled from 2005 to 2007. Partnering institutions were more likely to include paths to Google Scholar and the number of partnering institutions increased dramatically.
Practical implications
This study is useful for those making decisions about integration of Google Scholar into library collections and services, particularly the web site.
Originality/value
This paper illustrates future directions for integrating new categories of resources into the academic library web site.
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Yvonne Kammerer and Peter Gerjets
Purpose — To provide an overview of recent research that examined how search engine users evaluate and select Web search results and how alternative search engine interfaces can…
Abstract
Purpose — To provide an overview of recent research that examined how search engine users evaluate and select Web search results and how alternative search engine interfaces can support Web users' credibility assessment of Web search results.
Design/methodology/approach — As theoretical background, Information Foraging Theory (Pirolli, 2007; Pirolli & Card, 1999) from cognitive science and Prominence-Interpretation-Theory (Fogg, 2003) from communication and persuasion research are presented. Furthermore, a range of recent empirical research that investigated the effects of alternative SERP layouts on searchers' information quality or credibility assessments of search results are reviewed and approaches that aim at automatically classifying search results according to specific genre categories are reported.
Findings — The chapter reports on findings that Web users often rely heavily on the ranking provided by the search engines without paying much attention to the reliability or trustworthiness of the Web pages. Furthermore, the chapter outlines how alternative search engine interfaces that display search results in a format different from a list and/or provide prominent quality-related cues in the SERPs can foster searchers' credibility evaluations.
Research limitations/implications — The reported empirical studies, search engine interfaces, and Web page classification systems are not an exhaustive list.
Originality/value — The chapter provides insights for researchers, search engine developers, educators, and students on how the development and use of alternative search engine interfaces might affect Web users' search and evaluation strategies during Web search as well as their search outcomes in terms of retrieving high-quality, credible information.
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To provide a summary of the main features of a science‐specific search engine.
Abstract
Purpose
To provide a summary of the main features of a science‐specific search engine.
Design/methodology/approach
A brief description of the features of Scirus.
Findings
Scirus is a comprehensive science‐specific search engine on the internet with more than 167 million science‐specific Web pages Scirus is a free search engine developed by Elsevier and is updated monthly. In addition to access to general and specialized full‐text journal, e‐print, report and abstract sources, Scirus also incorporates access to select company homepages, conference information, news pages, patent information, product information, scientists’ homepages, society homepages, and university web sites.
Originality/value
Offers information about a new science‐specific search engine.
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Mike Thelwall and Laura Hasler
The purpose of this article is to explore the capabilities and limitations of weblog search engines.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to explore the capabilities and limitations of weblog search engines.
Design/methodology/approach
The features of a range of current blog search engines are described. These are then discussed and illustrated with examples that illustrate the reliability and coverage limitations of blog searching.
Findings
Although blog searching is a useful new technique, the results are sensitive to the choice of search engine, the parameters used and the date of the search. The quantity of spam also varies by search engine and search type.
Research limitations/implications
The results illustrate blog search evaluation methods and do not use a full‐scale scientific experiment.
Originality/value
Blog searching is a new technique, and one that is significantly different from web searching. Hence information professionals need to understand its strengths and weaknesses.
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The purpose of this paper is to show that digital natives are different from older age groups.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show that digital natives are different from older age groups.
Design/methodology/approach
The first survey asks questions about general computer searching behaviors. The second survey asks the students to find two items to see if they can find them.
Findings
Digital natives are different in their search behavior, preferring to use web‐based search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.
Research limitations/implications
There are 120 respondents to the first survey and 27 in the second.
Practical implications
More focus needs to be placed on the digital natives' search habits to find out how best to serve this population.
Social implications
Unless digital natives are taught how to search academic databases, they will be done a great disservice.
Originality/value
The two surveys are unique in data content.
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