Dont be evil: Uncovering the implications of Google search

Authors

  • Stephanie Winston Dalhousie University Masters of Library and Information Studies student.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5931/djim.v7i1.78

Keywords:

Google Search, Internet, Search Engine, Information Retrieval, Information in Society

Abstract

Google has taken the world by storm, and, with its fast and seemingly accurate search results, internet users are increasingly using this search engine to obtain the majority of their information. This paper studies the implications of internet users‘ increasing reliance on Google for retrieving information. It specifically examines Google search because it is the world‘s most prominent search engine, and studies the potential flaws in its algorithm, such as search engine bias and the rich-gets-richer phenomenon, as well as issues in the overall website retrieval process. It concludes that due to the sheer number of users relying on the first page of Google results for information, the seemingly indiscernible flaws in the system have a significant effect on the formation of knowledge.


Author Biography

Stephanie Winston, Dalhousie University Masters of Library and Information Studies student.

Stephanie Winston is currently working towards a Masters of Library and Information Studies degree from Dalhousie University and can honestly say that she loves every minute of it. She is a recent graduate of Queen‘s University where she obtained a Masters of Arts in English Literature, and hold an honours Bachelor degree in English and history from Carlton University. Originally from Toronto, Stephanie currently lives in Halifax with her fiancé Michael and their cat Maximilian. This paper was originally written for an Information in Society MLIS course.

References

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Published

2011-04-01

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2011)

Section

Articles

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