Journal Article10.2139/SSRN.2265348
Social Engines and Social Science: A Revolution in the Making
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TL;DR: A review of pioneering work that included data generated through search engine accessory applications, making the point that the greater value of search-engine research lies in using such tools for broader inquiry rather than examining search engines themselves as the central object of research as mentioned in this paper.
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Abstract: Scholars are starting to use tools such as Google Trends much more frequently in their work. Yet, a central ‘search-engine’ field of inquiry has yet to emerge. Rather, academics using search-engine data to address social issues are spread across many disciplines, which makes search valuable across fields but not critical to any one particular area in social science. In an effort to promote a comprehensive debate on these issues, this paper provides a review of pioneering work that included data generated through search engine accessory applications, making the point that the greater value of search-engine research lies in using such tools for broader inquiry rather than examining search engines themselves as the central object of research. The challenges and opportunities involved in this methodological transition are addressed, with a view to benefiting both social researchers and technology developers. This paper was written as a reflection and further research on the nature of search in social, political and economic aspects of society that was part of a series of meetings between British academics and Google UK. This project was funded by a Knowledge Exchange Grant from the UK Economic and Social Research Council.
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Citations
Public interest in the environment is falling: a response to Ficetola (2013)
TL;DR: McCallum and Bury as discussed by the authors used internet search analysis to reveal the public's falling interest in the environment, and argued that interest may be growing, and the apparent changes in interest were artifacts of expanded use of the internet.
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The Fading Gloss of Data Science: Towards an Agenda that Faces the Challenges of Big Data for Development and Humanitarian Action
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TL;DR: In this article , the authors unpacked the challenges presented by data science for development and humanitarianism and showed that many vulnerable people are invisible to the data infrastructure, while just integrating their data without understanding the consequences can make them even more vulnerable.
The Fading Gloss of Data Science: Towards an Agenda that Faces the Challenges of Big Data for Development and Humanitarian Action
Miren Gutiérrez,John Bryant +1 more
TL;DR: In this article , the authors unpacked the challenges presented by data science for development and humanitarianism and showed that many vulnerable people are invisible to the data infrastructure, while just integrating their data without understanding the consequences can make them even more vulnerable.
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