Malign Manipulations: Can Google's Shareholders Save Democracy?

Googling for Health Information

Search engines match user queries with webpages. Search efficiency, increases when data-driven network effects attract more users and generate economies of scale and scope in data aggregation. Network effects enhance user welfare but also trigger antitrust concerns because they may “tip” the market towards a single dominant search engine – Google Search. The EU Digital Markets Act imposes an obligation on very large gatekeepers search engines to share their user data with smaller search engines to facilitate market entry and competition. The available empirical literature on search engine efficiency shows that asymmetric data sharing, from larger to smaller search engines, may increase competition but reduce user welfare because it fragments the user data pool that is crucial for efficiency, in particular for rare queries. Tension between competition and user welfare can be overcome by symmetric and mutual data sharing between all search engines, irrespective of market share.

This study aims to describe how civic skills are strengthened through Citizenship Education in fostering student participation as citizens. This research is a mix method research with data collection by observation, interviews, and documentation, as well as distributing questionnaires. Participants in this study on qualitative data were lecturers and for quantitative data were 53 students who contracted Civics Learning courses in elementary schools in the Elementary School Teacher Education study program at Esa Unggul University. The results of this study indicate that lecturers provide strengthening of civics skills in Civics Learning courses in Elementary Schools through a project-based learning model, then open space at each meeting for students to be active in the learning process. The results of the analysis of quantitative data, strengthening civic skills through Citizenship Education in fostering student participation as citizens is successful. This can be seen from the survey with the results of Interacting with citizens of other countries to promote personal and shared interests with Agree totaling 91 points; Monitor public events and issues with Agree totaling 123 points; Deliberate and make decisions on public policy issues with Agreed totaling 108 points; Influencing policy decisions on public issues with Agree totaling 100 points; Carry out policy decisions on public issues with Agree totaling 113 points; Taking action to improve political and social life with Agree totals 97 points

Social Media Posts and Search Engine Queries as the Canary in the Coal Mine for Public Health Surveillance

Background of the study: Google has become the most popular search engine worldwide and its name has its own merit within information search, as such when people are searching for information they would most often say ‘google it’ rather than ‘look for it’. Purpose: The present research employs information experience perspective that investigates students of Universitas Diponegoro when they are using Google search to help complete their assignments. Method: The research method used to capture the information experience of Universitas Diponegoro students when using Google to look for information associated with their studies was the qualitative research method. Semi-structured interviews were used in this study to explore further information experience of students in exploring information using the Google search engine Findings: The findings revealed that undergraduate students have their own techniques when using Google search. They are well familiar with formulating search queries; the majority being able to take on this stage of task easily. However, students found it challenging when they have to start evaluating which of the search results would give the most relevant information to help with their assignments. Conclusions: Students’ prior knowledge appeared to be the governing factor of how well they are able to determine which of the compiled information sources are best for their study. Every student has their own best approach and experience to optimize Google. Generally, it was found that the students within this study had similar ways in formulating keywords to search for information on Google and were only different in certain details of experiences.

Given the importance of Google Search in generating visits to institutional repositories (IR), a lack of visibility in search engine results pages can hinder the possibility of their publications being found, read, downloaded, and, eventually, cited. To address this, institutions need to evaluate the visibility of their repositories to determine what actions might be implemented to enhance them. However, measuring the search engine optimization (SEO) visibility of IRs requires a highly accurate, technically feasible method. This study constitutes the first attempt to design such a method, specifically applied here to measuring the IR visibility of Spain’s national university system in Google Search based on a set of SEO-based metrics derived from the Ubersuggest SEO tool. A comprehensive dataset spanning three months and comprising 217,589 bibliographic records and 316,899 organic keywords is used as a baseline. Our findings show that many records deposited in these repositories are not ranked among the top positions in Google Search results, and that the most visible records are mainly academic works (theses and dissertations) written in Spanish in the Humanities and Social Sciences. However, most visits are generated by a small number of records. All in all, our results call into question the role played by IRs in attracting readers via Google Search to the institutions’ scientific heritage and serve to underscore the prevailing emphasis within IRs on preservation as opposed to online dissemination. Potential improvements might be achieved using enhanced metadata schemes and normalized description practices, as well as by adopting other actionable insights that can strengthen the online visibility of IRs. This study increases understanding of the role played by web indicators in assessing the web-based impact of research outputs deposited in IRs, and should be of particular interest for a range of stakeholders, including open access and open science advocates, research agencies, library practitioners, repository developers, and website administrators.

Search engines’ responses to several search feature selections

The speed of information and competitors in the internet world makes duniagoogle.com website not included in the search list and searches of the first page of Google, thus causing the website to be quiet and not have a maximum end. To overcome the problem of increasing website page visits, it is necessary to optimize using the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) method. The stages in this study were carried out with 2 stages through website analysis and process analysis. While the website SEO method uses 5 techniques, namely creating page segmentation, content structure, speed optimization, keyword research, and utilizing website backlinks. This technique is able to provide more optimal traffic to compete with other website competitors. The goal is that this website can appear on the first page of Google search, so as to get maximum results in the business world using the website. The results of website optimization based on the analysis and application of this method, the main page of the website with the main keyword duniagoogle.com has been indexed in the search engine and google search the first page. A total of 4 posts based on google search short keywords have been found to also appear on the first page of the google search engine. It is certain that the number of statistical website visits has increased from before. In the future, this website will continue to be optimized so that it gets better results. If there is further research related to this website optimization research based on the development of internet technology, it is likely that there are changes and new opportunities, then it must be further researched to be developed, so that the website can survive and compete in the world of Google search engines.

The widespread implementation of artificial intelligence technologies provides an appealing alternative to traditional search engines for online patient healthcare education. This study assessed ChatGPT-3.5's capabilities as a source of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) information, using Google Search as a comparison. Ten frequently searched questions related to OSA were entered into Google Search and ChatGPT-3.5. The responses were assessed by two independent researchers using the Global Quality Score (GQS), Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), DISCERN instrument, CLEAR tool, and readability scores (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level). ChatGPT-3.5 significantly outperformed Google Search in terms of GQS (5.00 vs. 2.50, p < 0.0001), DISCERN reliability (35.00 vs. 29.50, p = 0.001), and quality (11.50 vs. 7.00, p = 0.02). The CLEAR tool scores indicated that ChatGPT-3.5 provided excellent content (25.00 vs. 15.50, p < 0.001). PEMAT scores showed higher understandability (60-91% vs. 44-80%) and actionability for ChatGPT-3.5 (0-40% vs. 0%). Readability analysis revealed that Google Search responses were easier to read (FRE: 56.05 vs. 22.00; FKGL: 9.00 vs. 14.00, p < 0.0001). ChatGPT-3.5 delivers higher quality and more comprehensive OSA information compared to Google Search, although its responses are less readable. This suggests that while ChatGPT-3.5 can be a valuable tool for patient education, efforts to improve readability are necessary to ensure accessibility and utility for all patients. Healthcare providers should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of various healthcare information resources and emphasize the importance of critically evaluating online health information, advising patients on its reliability and relevance.

FindZebra: A search engine for rare diseases

The Internet and the World Wide Web has had a major impact on the accessibility of research information. The move towards open access and development of institutional repositories has resulted in increasing amounts of information being made available free of charge. Many of these resources are not included in conventional subscription databases and Google is not always the best way to ensure that one is picking up all relevant material on a topic. This article will look at how Google's search engine works, how to use Google more effectively for identifying research information, alternatives to Google and will review some of the specialist tools that have evolved to cope with the diverse forms of information that now exist in electronic form.

There is limited guidance on how to web-search in systematic reviews and concern relates to the reproducibility of searches using search engines such as Google. The aim of this paper is to address one potential source of variation in Google searches: does the geographical location of a researcher affect Google search returns? Using a virtual private network, we ran the same web-search for the medical technology Dasatinib in 12 different countries. Two researchers independently extracted the search returns by country organised by page rank. We compared: C1. any difference in the items returned by Google searches between countries and C2. any difference in the page rank of items returned between countries. Searches were undertaken on Monday September 28th 2020. From 12 countries, 43 items were identified. For C1: 19 items were common to all 12 countries. Twenty-four items were missed by searches in some countries. This means that there were differences in search returns between countries. For C2: a randomised trial reported by Raddich et al was the first search return for all countries. All other items, common to all countries, varied in their page-rank. We find that geographic location would appear to influence Google search returns based on the findings of this case study. The findings suggest that recording the location of the researcher undertaking web-searching may now be an important factor to report alongside detail on steps taken to minimise personalisation of web-searches covered by recent guidance. This finding also has implications for stopping-rules.

We investigate the impact of computer vision models, a prominent artificial intelligence tool, on critical knowledge infrastructure, using the case of Google search engines. We answer the following research question: How do search results for Google Images compare internationally with those for Google Search, and how can these results be explained by changes in Google's knowledge infrastructure? To answer this question, we carry out four steps: (1) Theorise the relationship between web epistemology, calculative technology and issue configuration, illustrating the dynamics of critical knowledge infrastructures on the web; (2) provide a potted history of Google's use of computer vision in search; (3) undertake the first international comparison of search results from Google Search and Google Images; (4) analyse the visual content of search results from Google Images. Adopting a novel research design combining a suite of quanti-quali digital methods including visual content analysis, social semiotics and computer vision network analysis, we analyse six countries’ search results related to environmental change (climate change, biodiversity loss). We present two key findings. First, Google Images search results contain fewer authoritative sources than Google Search across all countries. Second, Google Images results constitute a narrow, homogenised visual repertoire across all countries. This constitutes a transformation in Google's web epistemology from ranking-by-authority to ranking-by-similarity, driven by a shift in calculative technology from web links (Google Search) to computer vision (Google Images). Our framework and findings open up new questions regarding the impact of computer vision on public access to knowledge in increasingly image-saturated digital societies.

Background:After their attempts to have patient safety concerns addressed internally were ignored by wilfully blind managers, nurses from Bundaberg Base Hospital and Macarthur Health Service felt compelled to ‘blow the whistle’. Wilful blindness is the human desire to prefer ignorance to knowledge; the responsibility to be informed is shirked.Objective:To provide an account of instances of wilful blindness identified in two high-profile cases of nurse whistleblowing in Australia.Research design:Critical case study methodology using Fay’s Critical Social Theory to examine, analyse and interpret existing data generated by the Commissions of Inquiry held into Bundaberg Base Hospital and Macarthur Health Service patient safety breaches. All data was publicly available and assessed according to the requirements of unobtrusive research methods and secondary data analysis.Ethical considerations:Data collection for the case studies relied entirely on publicly available documentary sources recounting and detailing past events.Findings:Data from both cases reveal managers demonstrating wilful blindness towards patient safety concerns. Concerns were unaddressed; nurses, instead, experienced retaliatory responses leading to a ‘social crisis’ in the organisation and to whistleblowing.Conclusion:Managers tasked with clinical governance must be aware of mechanisms with the potential to blind them. The human tendency to favour positive news and avoid conflict is powerful. Understanding wilful blindness can assist managers’ awareness of the competing emotions occurring in response to ethical challenges, such as whistleblowing.

Access to electronic information resources is believed to enhance medical students’ academic engagement, research skills, and performance. Search engines emerged to render the responsibilities. However, if accessibility is disrupted, students’ activities could be negatively altered.This study investigates the influence of search engines and accessibility of electronic information resources (EIRs) on academic activities among 585 medical students at the College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. Employing a correlational survey design, a sample of 233 students from seven departments was selected using multi-stage sampling. Data were collected via a validated questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83) with a 93% response rate and analysed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential (logistic regression) statistics. Findings reveal high engagement in literature reviews, research projects, and exam preparation (x̅= 1.91–1.93), but low participation in evidence-based medicine assignments and journal clubs (x̅= 1.40–1.49). EIR accessibility is low, with multimedia resources moderately used (x̅ = 1.63) compared to online journals and e-books (x̅= 1.24–1.39). YouTube is the most used search engine (x̅ = 1.84), while academic search engines like Google Scholar are underutilized (x̅ = 1.26). Logistic regression indicates significant relationships between multimedia search engines (OR = 2.48, p &lt; 0.001), Google Scholar (OR = 1.68, p = 0.001), and EIR accessibility, and between multimedia resources (OR = 2.29, p &lt; 0.001), e-books (OR = 1.79, p &lt; 0.001), and academic activities. Low digital literacy and institutional barriers limit EIR use. The study concluded that search engines play significant roles in accessing EIR and enhanced academic activities depend on extent to which EIR are used through accessibility. It is recommended that mandatory workshops, promotional campaigns, and provision of digital infrastructure should be the priorities of libraries with financial support from governments.