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Reading privacy policy lowers trust

A survey by Xiaojing Sheng and Penny Simpson found that reading privacy policies can lead to decreased trust in providers, with over a quarter of respondents citing complexity as the main reason for not reading them. Almost one third of respondents expressed concern about their private information being shared or sold.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Services and Standards·DateMay 20, 2014

To catch a cyber-thief

A new technique developed by researchers at Concordia University has slashed data-crunching time for law enforcement, allowing investigators to extract hidden knowledge from large volumes of text. The new method automatically identifies criminal topics and provides visualization of social networks among participants.

SourceConcordia University·JournalData & Knowledge Engineering·DateJun 5, 2013

Befuddled by emergency birth control

A Northwestern University study found that many college students cannot track down reliable information on emergency contraception pills (ECPs) online. Only two-thirds of the participants were able to conclude that their friend should seek ECPs, with fewer than half providing the ideal response.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalPolicy & Internet·DateJun 14, 2012

Brand name advertising clicks with online shoppers

Researchers found that brand names in online search engine advertising campaigns attract more attention and encourage more sales. A study by Penn State researchers discovered that branded keyword phrases combined with branded advertisements generated the highest average sales, 15 times higher than generic ads.

SourcePenn State·JournalInternational Journal of Electronic Commerce·DateOct 3, 2011

Online consumers willing to pay premium for Net privacy, says study in INFORMS Journal

A new study published in INFORMS Journal found that online consumers are willing to pay a premium for purchases from vendors with clear and protective privacy policies. In an experimental study, participants were more likely to buy from high-privacy sites than low-privacy sites, with an average additional payment of $0.59 for batteries.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateJul 11, 2011

Real-time search market worth more than $30 million a day

Researchers found that real-time search terms have significant economic value, with unique searches generating $33 million in revenue daily. The study, published in Information Processing and Management, suggests a growing market for real-time search, driven by the increasing number of Twitter updates.

SourcePenn State·JournalInformation Processing & Management·DateApr 12, 2011

Google -- an engine of knowledge creation?

Academic users must be aware of how search engines operate to ensure quality sources are chosen. José van Dijck argues that Google Scholar is a co-producer of academic knowledge, not just a neutral tool. Its algorithm prioritizes quantitative citation analysis over relevance and truth-value.

SourceSAGE Publications UK·JournalInternational Journal of Cultural Studies·DateNov 25, 2010

Not as Web savvy as you think

A Northwestern University study found that many college students trust websites and search engines ranked high on Google, prioritizing brand recognition over factual accuracy. The study involved 102 students who showed a strong preference for Google and other top brands, even when given hypothetical information-seeking tasks.

Search engines are source of learning

Researchers found search engines are used for fact-checking and supporting higher-level information needs, revealing a more complex role in learning. Their study suggests design improvements for search engines can better address users' cognitive and affective aspects.

SourcePenn State·JournalInformation Processing & Management·DateNov 19, 2009

If at first you don't succeed, let the search engine try

A Penn State researcher analyzed nearly 1 million Web searches to detect patterns of query reformulation and create models to predict them. The research found that users reformulated their search terms in 22% of queries to more precisely convey the information they were searching for.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology·DateJun 5, 2009

Personal discrimination on the Web

Researchers developed a system to extract subjective expressions from web pages, scoring them for subjectivity and indicating whether they express personal opinions or marketing speak. The method outperformed general search engines in detecting personal opinion pages across four categories.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Business Intelligence and Data Mining·DateMay 21, 2009

Researchers predict click-through behavior in Web searches

A study by Penn State researchers identified nine factors that can help predict future click-through rates, including number of records in a search and browser type. The positive factors had five effects, while four had negative effects, with user intent having no significant impact on predicting click-throughs.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology·DateMar 11, 2009

Ad click-through rate lower than previously thought

Researchers found ad clicks on Dogpile.com to be only 15% of total interactions, with 35% of queries yielding no clicks. The study challenges previous reports of a 30% ad click-through rate and suggests advertisers can leverage alternative forms of keyword advertising.

SourcePenn State·JournalInternational Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising·DateFeb 25, 2009

Search engine marketing for non-profits

A study published in the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising suggests that non-profits can exploit online marketing strategies to gain traffic and raise awareness. By focusing on relevant keywords and optimizing their websites, non-profits can improve their search engine rankings and increase donations.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising·DateDec 8, 2008

Researchers classify Web searches

Researchers analyzed over 1.5 million queries to find that 80% are informational, while 10% are navigational or transactional in nature. An algorithm developed by Penn State researchers achieved a 74% accuracy rate in classifying these searches.

SourcePenn State·JournalInformation Processing & Management·DateApr 10, 2008

Researchers create search engine to hunt molecules online

ChemxSeer is a search engine designed specifically for chemical formulae, allowing scientists to find relevant research on CH4 or methane without filtering out results about Channel 4. The tool identifies related chemicals with different formula representations and substructures, providing more accurate search results.

'Less is more' online

A study by MU researchers found that people pay more attention to pictures selected from a small array of choices than from a large array. Participants who chose from six thumbnail pictures remembered the pictures with 99 percent accuracy, while those who chose from 24 only remembered with 89 percent accuracy.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalComputers in Human Behavior·DateJul 9, 2007

Search engine mashup

A new search engine mashup uses intelligent virtual robots to scan data quickly, assessing keywords and context, and combining it with meta search tools to retrieve relevant results. This approach improves the precision rate and recall rate of traditional search engines.

SourceInderscience Publishers·JournalInternational Journal of Agent-Oriented Software Engineering·DateJul 6, 2007

Branding matters -- even when searching

A study by Penn State found that branding matters when searching online, with participants favoring Yahoo! and Google over MSN Live Search and an in-house engine. The researchers believe emotional branding has an impact on the evaluation of search engine results, leading to a 15% higher score for Yahoo!.

Consumers suspicious of sponsored links

A study by Penn State researchers found that 80% of participants preferred organic search results over sponsored links. Despite identical content, participants rated sponsored links as less relevant due to biased perception. To address this, businesses should prioritize organic visibility alongside paid advertising.