Article,
Navigating the Internet: A Study of German-Language Search Engines
European Journal of Communication, 19 (3): 321-347 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0267323104045258
Abstract
This article explores the market position, quality and typical usage of German-language search engines. The use of search engines is a common Internet activity - 91 percent of Internet users employ search engines. As search engines occupy the role of gatekeepers in the information jungle of the Internet, a monopoly like Google's (76 percent market share) is problematic in several respects. Invalid results, access to websites with inappropriate content for the young user or users' ignorance concerning the technical and economic functionality of search engines represent further problems. To analyse these problems, the study reported here comprised three steps: a comparison of search engine performance, a representative poll among German Internet users and a laboratory experiment. It was found that users have only the basic skills required to use search engines; this is exacerbated by search engines' lack of transparency. Manipulations (spamming) of results and a poor separation of neutral and sponsored hits add to a deficiency in user friendliness.
