This time, only one suggestion appeared. It's a bit alarming; it seems to show a great deal about what most people doing web research think "research" means.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
How people search for data
I started typing IPCC into my Google search box. Firefox helpfully supplies a pull-down list of common searches to save on typing. (tech note: I'm not sure how it does this; it seems there must be some AJAX trick with Google?)
This time, only one suggestion appeared. It's a bit alarming; it seems to show a great deal about what most people doing web research think "research" means.
This time, only one suggestion appeared. It's a bit alarming; it seems to show a great deal about what most people doing web research think "research" means.
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI have no insights into where the data comes from, but wanted to tell you that my results are completely different, and not alarming. You can see them here:
http://vec.com.au/~coby/IPCC-search-suggestions.jpg
My search seems fine as well:
ReplyDeleteSparrow's screenshot
Yes, I see similar results on other machines. This one still offers "IPCC wrong" though it has also added "IPCC sea level".
ReplyDeleteI looked, and the top hit on 'IPCC wrong' is a BBC headline about the Independent Police Complaints Commission. So maybe this tempest should go back in the teapot.
ReplyDeleteI get a smattering of search hits on "(something) refuted" where (something) is eminently reasonable, though; most recently "tragedy of the commons refuted". I am sure that this googler was disappointed to read my summary of the whole climate change controversy.
Sorry mt, but it's remembering YOUR previous searches :-)
ReplyDelete(maybe)
At least, when I type something in the same box, I get my own previous searches first, and then suggestions below (which are clearly labelled as such)