A Collection of Samples for Research in Google: Design and Application of a Sample Selection Method: Results and Problems of Research

Abstract

This article examines the use and validity of Google’s search engine for the collection of corpuses of materials for research. To this end, it develops two interrelated themes. In the first section, a methodology is developed which is designed to identify universes in Google that meet the criteria and parameters required by an academic study. This methodology makes use of the search engine’s own logic and is applicable to most on-line document searches. The second section discusses the limitations and skewing of results arising from Google’s mode of operation which have an impact on the scientific validity of the universes it generates. This part focuses on the completeness and representativeness of the Google universes with regards to the full range of contents available on the Internet.