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Intriguing behavior when testing the impact of quotation marks usage in Google search results

Author

Listed:
  • Bogdan Vasile Ileanu

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies)

  • Marcel Ausloos

    (University of Leicester)

  • Claudiu Herteliu

    (Bucharest University of Economic Studies)

  • Marian Pompiliu Cristescu

    (Lucian Blaga University from Sibiu)

Abstract

Internet research on search engine quality and validity of results demand much concern. Thus, the focus in our study has been to measure the impact of quotation marks usage on the internet search outputs in terms of Google search outcomes’ distributions, through Benford Law. The current paper is focused on applying a Benford Law analysis on two related types of internet searches distinguished by the usage or absence of quotation marks. Both search results values are assumed as variables. We found that the first digit of outcomes does not follow the Benford Law first digit of numbers in the case of searching text without quotation marks. Unexpectedly, the Benford Law is obeyed when quotation marks are used, even if the variability of search outcomes is considerably reduced. By studying outputs demonstrating influences of (apparently at first) “details”, in using a search engine, the authors are able to further warn the users concerning the validity of such outputs.

Suggested Citation

  • Bogdan Vasile Ileanu & Marcel Ausloos & Claudiu Herteliu & Marian Pompiliu Cristescu, 2019. "Intriguing behavior when testing the impact of quotation marks usage in Google search results," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(5), pages 2507-2519, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:53:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s11135-018-0771-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-018-0771-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Juan Miguel Campanario & María Angeles Coslado, 2011. "Benford’s law and citations, articles and impact factors of scientific journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 88(2), pages 421-432, August.
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    3. Ausloos, M. & Herteliu, C. & Ileanu, B., 2015. "Breakdown of Benford’s law for birth data," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 419(C), pages 736-745.
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    6. Tariq Ahmad Mir & Marcel Ausloos & Roy Cerqueti, 2014. "Benford's law predicted digit distribution of aggregated income taxes: the surprising conformity of Italian cities and regions," Papers 1410.2890, arXiv.org.
    7. T. Mir, 2016. "The leading digit distribution of the worldwide illicit financial flows," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 271-281, January.
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