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Big data, big problems: Why scientists should refrain from using Google Trends

Franzén, Alexandra LU (2023) In Acta Sociologica (United Kingdom) 66(3).
Abstract
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.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Acta Sociologica (United Kingdom)
volume
66
issue
3
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85147374638
ISSN
0001-6993
DOI
10.1177/00016993221151118
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a11daf9a-80e9-456f-9038-4d7ee72bc8d7
date added to LUP
2024-09-20 13:30:30
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:18:59
@article{a11daf9a-80e9-456f-9038-4d7ee72bc8d7,
  abstract     = {{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.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Franzén, Alexandra}},
  issn         = {{0001-6993}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Acta Sociologica (United Kingdom)}},
  title        = {{Big data, big problems: Why scientists should refrain from using Google Trends}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00016993221151118}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/00016993221151118}},
  volume       = {{66}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}