Crossing the academic ocean? Judit Bar-Ilan's oeuvre on search engines studies

[EN] The main objective of this work is to analyse the contributions of Judit Bar-Ilan to the search engines studies. To do this, two complementary approaches have been carried out. First, a systematic literature review of 47 publications authored and co-authored by Judit and devoted to this topic. Second, an interdisciplinarity analysis based on the cited references (publications cited by Judit) and citing documents (publications that cite Judit's work) through Scopus. The systematic literature review unravels an immense amount of search engines studied (43) and indicators measured (especially technical precision, overlap and fluctuation over time). In addition to this, an evolution over the years is detected from descriptive statistical studies towards empirical user studies, with a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods. Otherwise, the interdisciplinary analysis evidences that a significant portion of Judit's oeuvre was intellectually founded on the computer sciences, achieving a significant, but not exclusively, impact on library and information sciences.Orduña-Malea, E. (2020). Crossing the academic ocean? Judit Bar-Ilan's oeuvre on search engines studies. Scientometrics. 123(3):1317-1340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03450-4S131713401233Bar-Ilan, J. (1998a). On the overlap, the precision and estimated recall of search engines. A case study of the query “Erdos”. Scientometrics,42(2), 207–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02458356.Bar-Ilan, J. (1998b). The mathematician, Paul Erdos (1913–1996) in the eyes of the Internet. Scientometrics,43(2), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02458410.Bar-Ilan, J. (2000). The web as an information source on informetrics? A content analysis. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,51(5), 432–443. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1097-4571(2000)51:5%3C432:aid-asi4%3E3.0.co;2-7.Bar-Ilan, J. (2001). Data collection methods on the web for informetric purposes: A review and analysis. Scientometrics,50(1), 7–32.Bar-Ilan, J. (2002). Methods for measuring search engine performance over time. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology,53(4), 308–319. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.10047.Bar-Ilan, J. (2003). Search engine results over time: A case study on search engine stability. Cybermetrics,2/3, 1–16.Bar-Ilan, J. (2005a). Expectations versus reality—Search engine features needed for Web research at mid 2005. Cybermetrics,9, 1–26.Bar-Ilan, J. (2005b). Expectations versus reality—Web search engines at the beginning of 2005. In Proceedings of ISSI 2005: 10th international conference of the international society for scientometrics and informetrics (Vol. 1, pp. 87–96).Bar-Ilan, J. (2010). The WIF of Peter Ingwersen’s website. In B. Larsen, J. W. Schneider, & F. Åström (Eds.), The Janus Faced Scholar a Festschrift in honour of Peter Ingwersen (pp. 119–121). Det Informationsvidenskabelige Akademi. Retrieved 15 January 15, 2020, from https://vbn.aau.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/90357690/JanusFacedScholer_Festschrift_PeterIngwersen_2010.pdf#page=122.Bar-Ilan, J. (2018). Eugene Garfield on the web in 2001. Scientometrics,114(2), 389–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2590-9.Bar-Ilan, J., Mat-Hassan, M., & Levene, M. (2006). Methods for comparing rankings of search engine results. Computer Networks,50(10), 1448–1463. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comnet.2005.10.020.Thelwall, M. (2017). Judit Bar-Ilan: Information scientist, computer scientist, scientometrician. Scientometrics,113(3), 1235–1244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2551-3

Attentes versus réalité

Les chercheurs qui analysent le Web s’appuient sur des données qui sont souvent collectées à l’aide des moteurs de recherche. Dans une précédente contribution (Bar-Ilan, 2005), l’auteur a proposé une liste d’objectifs pour le moteur de recherche idéal en expliquant le besoin de fonctionnalités spécifiques pour ce type d’activité. Ici, il revisite cette liste et examine si les principaux moteurs de recherche actuels peuvent répondre, au moins partiellement, aux exigences de l’outil de recherche idéal. Les principaux outils de recherche sont commerciaux et destinés à l’utilisateur « moyen » et non au chercheur scientifique qui analyse le Web, ils ne peuvent donc pas satisfaire toutes les demandes.Web research is based on data from the Web. Often data is collected using search engines. In a previous paper (Bar-Ilan, 2005) we proposed a “wish list” for the ideal search engine and explained the need for specific features. In this paper we revisit this list and examine whether the currently existing major search engines can at least partially fulfil the requirements of the ultimate search tool. The major search tools are commercial and are oriented towards the “average” user and not towards the Web researcher, and therefore are unable to meet all the requests

Web manifestations of knowledge-based innovation systems in the UK

Innovation is widely recognised as essential to the modern economy. The term knowledgebased innovation system has been used to refer to innovation systems which recognise the importance of an economy’s knowledge base and the efficient interactions between important actors from the different sectors of society. Such interactions are thought to enable greater innovation by the system as a whole. Whilst it may not be possible to fully understand all the complex relationships involved within knowledge-based innovation systems, within the field of informetrics bibliometric methodologies have emerged that allows us to analyse some of the relationships that contribute to the innovation process. However, due to the limitations in traditional bibliometric sources it is important to investigate new potential sources of information. The web is one such source. This thesis documents an investigation into the potential of the web to provide information about knowledge-based innovation systems in the United Kingdom. Within this thesis the link analysis methodologies that have previously been successfully applied to investigations of the academic community (Thelwall, 2004a) are applied to organisations from different sections of society to determine whether link analysis of the web can provide a new source of information about knowledge-based innovation systems in the UK. This study makes the case that data may be collected ethically to provide information about the interconnections between web sites of various different sizes and from within different sectors of society, that there are significant differences in the linking practices of web sites within different sectors, and that reciprocal links provide a better indication of collaboration than uni-directional web links. Most importantly the study shows that the web provides new information about the relationships between organisations, rather than just a repetition of the same information from an alternative source. Whilst the study has shown that there is a lot of potential for the web as a source of information on knowledge-based innovation systems, the same richness that makes it such a potentially useful source makes applications of large scale studies very labour intensive.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Search Engine Optimization

This Special Issue book focuses on the theory and practice of search engine optimization (SEO). It is intended for anyone who publishes content online and it includes five peer-reviewed papers from various researchers. More specifically, the book includes theoretical and case study contributions which review and synthesize important aspects, including, but not limited to, the following themes: theory of SEO, different types of SEO, SEO criteria evaluation, search engine algorithms, social media and SEO, and SEO applications in various industries, as well as SEO on media websites. The book aims to give a better understanding of the importance of SEO in the current state of the Internet and online information search. Even though SEO is widely used by marketing practitioners, there is a relatively small amount of academic research that systematically attempts to capture this phenomenon and its impact across different industries. Thus, this collection of studies offers useful insights, as well as a valuable resource that intends to open the door for future SEO-related research

Präsenz und Sichtbarkeit von Meeresforschungsinstituten im World Wide Web : eine Fallstudie zum Potential der Webometrie zur Untersuchung der internationalen Einbettung wissenschaftlicher Einrichtungen

Ruschenburg T. Präsenz und Sichtbarkeit von Meeresforschungsinstituten im World Wide Web : eine Fallstudie zum Potential der Webometrie zur Untersuchung der internationalen Einbettung wissenschaftlicher Einrichtungen. Bielefeld (Germany): Bielefeld University; 2010.Das World Wide Web hat in den 20 Jahren seit seiner Entstehung die Vernetzung und den Austausch von Informationen innerhalb der wissenschaftlichen Gemeinschaft enorm erleichtert. In der quantitativen Wissenschaftsforschung sowie der Informationswissenschaft wird seit Mitte der 90er Jahre darüber diskutiert, inwiefern das World Wide Web Aufschluss über die sozialen Strukturen der Wissenschaft gegeben kann. Vorbild war dabei zunächst die etablierte quantitative Methode der Wissenschaftsforschung: die Bibliometrie. Auf der Grundlage von Publikations-, Zitations- und Koautorenschaftsdaten lassen sich mit bibliometrischen Verfahren beispielsweise Erkenntnisse über den Stellenwert und die Vernetzung einzelner ForscherInnen, Gruppen, Forschungseinrichtungen oder Nationen gewinnen. In Anlehnung daran werden nun unter dem Begriff "Webometrie" Daten zur Größe von Websites und ihrer Vernetzung durch Links analysiert, um die virtuelle Präsenz und Vernetzung verschiedener wissenschaftlicher Entitäten zu bestimmen. Neben oberflächlichen Parallelen zur Bibliometrie wurden jedoch schnell auch fundamentale Unterschiede deutlich. Sie resultieren aus spezifischen Eigenschaften des World Wide Webs, das anderen Zwecken dient als Fachzeitschriften und das - anders als Publikationsdatenbanken - keine retrospektiven Untersuchungen zulässt, das kaum formal standardisiert ist und in dem eine systematische Qualitätskontrolle fehlt, wie sie in wissenschaftlichen Zeitschriften mit der Peer-Review fest verankert ist. Folglich befasst sich ein großer Teil der webometrischen Literatur mit der Entwicklung neuer Verfahren und Indikatoren sowie mit der Prüfung ihrer Aussagekraft. Dies gilt auch für die vorliegende Dissertation, die sich mit der Frage befasst, inwiefern webometrische Verfahren dazu geeignet sind, internationale Zusammenhänge in der Wissenschaft zu untersuchen. Diese Frage ist bislang nicht systematisch betrachtet worden. Um sie beantworten zu können, wurden auf der Grundlage zweier literaturbasierter Kapitel - zur Entwicklung der Webometrie sowie zur webometrischen Untersuchung internationaler Zusammenhänge in der Wissenschaft - drei Leitfragen entwickelt: 1. Wie aussagekräftig sind Top-Level-Domains als Indikatoren der nationalen Verortung? 2. Inwieweit ähneln sich die Bilder, die webometrische und bibliometrische Indikatoren von der internationalen Einbettung von Forschungseinrichtungen zeigen? 3. Hängen Präsenz und Vernetzung wissenschaftlicher Einrichtungen im World Wide Web (bzw. im Web of Science) mit dem Entwicklungsstand ihrer Sitzländer zusammen? Die drei Leitfragen wurden im Rahmen einer empirischen Fallstudie geklärt. Gegenstand der Fallstudie waren zehn Meeresforschungseinrichtungen in deutsch- und englischsprachigen Ländern. Die Ergebnisse dieser Dissertation sprechen dafür, dass die Webometrie eher eine Ergänzung als ein Ersatz für die Bibliometrie darstellt. Beide befassen sich mit sehr unterschiedlichen Datenquellen, die ihre eigenen Anforderungen an die Methode stellen. Im Hinblick auf internationale Fragestellungen hat eine Limitierung in der Reichweite webometrischer Anwendungen gezeigt: Da keine zuverlässigen, automatisiert auszuwertenden Indikatoren für die nationale Zuordnung von Webseiten zur Verfügung stehen, muss die Webometrie internationale Fragestellungen weiterhin anhand ausgewählter Websites durchführen, deren nationale Verortung bekannt ist. Darüber hinaus zeigte sich ein eher negatives Bild, was die Einbindung von Forschungseinrichtungen in Entwicklungsländern in Webstrukturen betrifft: Durch die global digital divide im Internetzugang weisen die untersuchten Meeresforschungseinrichtungen in englischsprachigen Entwicklungsländern - im Verhältnis zu ihrer personellen Größe - deutlich kleinere Websites auf als diejenigen in Deutschland und den USA. Sie sind zudem wesentlich schwächer verlinkt. Im Gegensatz dazu stellte sich heraus, dass die Publikationen der Forschungsinstitute durchgängig zu hohen Teilen im Web of Science erfasst werden. Das Einrichten und Pflegen einer Webpräsenz ist offensichtlich eine Anforderung, die Forschungseinrichtungen in Industrieländern - u.a. mit Hilfe von spezialisiertem Personal - besser bewältigen und für sich nutzen können als solche in Entwicklungsländern. Dort belastet diese zusätzliche, wissenschaftsfremde Aufgabe die ohnehin knappen Forschungsressourcen. Bisher verschärft das World Wide Web somit die bestehende Ungleichheit in der globalen Forschungslandschaft eher, als dass es sie mildert. Es ist anzunehmen, dass Forschungseinrichtungen, die nicht die Möglichkeit haben, ihre Existenz und ihre Aktivitäten im World Wide Web darzustellen, Chancen - beispielsweise auf neue Kooperationen - entgehen

Framing online communications of civil and uncivil groups in post-conflict Northern Ireland

This thesis explores the ways in which civil and uncivil groups in Northern Ireland use the Internet to generate soft power. This research assesses whether the Internet creates a critical multiplier effect for marginal groups, such as terrorists and interface communities. A coding scheme, adapted from previous studies of political part websites, is used to determine whether these groups have realised the potential of the Internet as a tool for political mobilisation. The dissertation considers whether there are any qualitative differences between the online framing of terrorist-linked parties and the constitutional parties in the region. The phenomenon of amateur terrorism is also analysed through the lens of Loyalist and Republican solidarity actors. The analysis determines whether solidarity actors were more likely to justify political violence on their websites than their respective political fronts. In addition, the websites of rival residents’ groups are examined to determine whether the Internet can help generate social capital across sectarian interfaces. The analysis determines whether residents’ groups use the Web to strengthen in-group identities, or to engage in dialogue with rival interface communities. In doing so, the research tests the cyberoptimist assertion that the Internet will facilitate forms of communication that undermine unequal power relations within nation-states. The online audience for Northern Irish terrorists is modelled using Internet usage patterns and the ranking systems used by Internet search engines. Internet usage patterns are examined to define the potential audience available to Northern Irish terrorists via their websites. The study suggests that there is little to differentiate between the websites of terrorist-linked groups, such as Sinn Fein, and the websites of constitutional parties, such as the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). In contrast, Loyalist and Republican amateurs often use paramilitary insignias on their websites to demonstrate their opposition to the peace process. However, these websites do not constitute a new dimension of terrorist threat to the peace process. Analysis of residents’ group websites suggests that they further the competition of ‘victimhoods’ between Loyalist and Republican interface communities. Both sides use their web presence to claim that they were constantly under threat of attack from the community situated at the other side of the ‘peaceline.’ Moreover, the thesis suggests that there will be a limited online audience for both civil and uncivil actors in Northern Ireland. The online audience for these actors is likely to consist of Internet users who use the Web for political research and Loyalist and Republican supporters in the ‘offline’ world

Making Institutional Repositories Work

Making Institutional Repositories Work takes novices as well as seasoned practitioners through the practical and conceptual steps necessary to develop a functioning institutional repository, customized to the needs and culture of the home institution. The first section covers all aspects of system platforms, including hosted and open-source options, big data capabilities and integration, and issues related to discoverability. The second section addresses policy issues, from the basics to open-source and deposit mandates. The third section focuses on recruiting and even creating content. Authors in this section will address the ways that different disciplines tend to have different motivations for deposit, as well as the various ways that institutional repositories can serve as publishing platforms. The fourth section covers assessment and success measures for all involved—librarians, deans, and administrators. The theory and practice of traditional metrics, alt metrics, and peer review receive chapter-length treatment. The fifth section provides case studies that include a boots-on-the-ground perspective of issues raised in the first four sections. By noting trends and potentialities, this final section, authored by Executive Director of SPARC Heather Joseph, makes future predictions and helps managers position institutional repositories to be responsive to change and even shape the evolution of scholarly communication.https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/1040/thumbnail.jp

The Use of Intimate Partner Violence Websites: Website Awareness, Visibility, Information Quality, Perceived Usefulness, and Frequency of Use

This study aimed to determine the information needs of the intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors, as well as the awareness, visibility, information quality, perceived usefulness, and frequency of use of the IPV websites in Canada. The data in this study were collected in four stages. Firstly, a group of 139 Canadian IPV websites were identified and categorized into 36 groups. Secondly, the visibility of the websites was measured based on the average value of three factors: (1) the inlink counts; (2) the search engine rankings; and (3) the number of social media mentions of the websites. Thirdly, the quality of the websites was evaluated based on the average value of five quality indicators: (1) Accessibility; (2) Relevance ; (3) Readability; (4) Interactivity; and (5) Privacy and Data Protection. Fourthly, a group of 20 IPV websites was selected from the 139 websites for survey purpose. A total of 87 IPV survivors were recruited to provide insights into their information needs, website awareness, perceived usefulness and frequency of use of the 20 IPV websites through an online survey. This study found that the higher the visibility or quality, the higher the usage. Both perceived usefulness and frequency of use of the known websites were statistically significantly higher than those of the unknown websites. Furthermore, the findings of this study revealed evidence of minimal use of the IPV websites, which may be explained by the low awareness and low perceived usefulness of the IPV websites. Based on the findings, this study recommended that online social media marketing campaigns and outreach activities should be carried out by website owners to promote website awareness. Various strategies should also be employed to improve the visibility and quality of the websites. Given that the most desired type of information was legal resources, libraries should dedicate resources to satisfy the information needs of IPV survivors. The findings make academic contributions by producing an empirically supported evidence and benchmark for future studies