Big data, big problems
Why scientists should refrain from using Google Trends
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2301378 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alexandra Franzén (0000-0003-4506-8079, Halmstad University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 343-347 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Acta Sociologica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0001-6993 • E-ISSN: 1502-3869 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00016993221151118 |
| OpenAlex | W4318474637 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 14 |
Google Trends has for over a decade been used by researchers in medicine and the social sciences who want to use information about internet searches to gain new data and insights concerning medical and social issues. A similar tool by the same company, Google Flu Trends, was abolished by Google in 2015 due to serious problems with accuracy; raising larger questions about the quality of the data provided, not only by Google, but by all platforms collecting big data. In this article, I use an unplanned experiment to test the reliability and replicability of Google Trends. The results strongly indicate that scientists in all fields should refrain from using the tool Google Trends when conducting research
Big data · Biology · Data mining · Data science · Internet privacy · Quality (philosophy · Reliability (semiconductor · Test (biology · The Internet · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Data-Driven Disease Surveillance · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
Social Comfort as a Latent Dimension of Quality of Life
Google-Search Data for Psychological Scientists
Applying Google trends to analyze electoral Outcomes
Conservative Protestantism and Penis Size
Unpacking the green box
Using Google Trends Data to Study High-Frequency Search Terms
From Search to Separation
The (mis)use of Google Trends data in the social sciences - A systematic review, critique, and recommendations
DIY google trends indicators in social sciences
Detecting influenza epidemics using search engine query data
The Parable of Google Flu
When Google got flu wrong
Predicting the Present with Google Trends
Ten years of research change using Google Trends
The Use of Google Trends in Health Care Research
The Google voter
The cost of racial animus on a black candidate
Measuring Christian Religiosity by Google Trends
Using Internet Search Data to Produce State-level Measures
Income Inequality, Income, and Internet Searches for Status Goods
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |