Use Of Internet Search Engines Research Articles

Involvement of graduates in information and communication technologies and quality of their employment

Introduction. The urgent need to solve the employment issue for graduates of vocational educational institutions and for substantial insight into quality of employment, especially on the Russian unstable labor market, defines the aim of the study: to identify how using information and communication technologies in their work is related to the quality of graduates’ employment. The work scheme of the study includes both a complex of technological and psychological characteristics of information and communication technologies and characteristics of the quality of employment, including indicators of its instability, uncertainty and psychological well-being in the professional and work sphere. Materials and methods. The participants were 384 working young people (average age – 24 years, 49.5% male, 50.5% female); 216 had higher education, and 168 had secondary vocational education. At the time of the survey, all the participants had no more than three years of work experience after graduating. A special author's questionnaire was used which operationalized the components of the research design. Results. The study revealed that such components of employment quality as the opportunity to acquire new professional knowledge and skills and non-forced employment form an extensive set of connections with information and communication technologies. Among the aspects of these technologies, the greatest number of connections with the quality of employment is found in affective-motivational and operational components of involvement in technology (experiencing positive emotions, interest, pleasure from using them, activity and consistency in their use), absorption in technology, use of Internet search engines and platforms for video communication (Spearman's ρ in the range of 0.103–0.344, significance level from p = 0.05 to p = 0.001). Strengthening these characteristics may increase the quality of graduates’ employment and vice versa. Conclusion. The results allowed expanding ideas about the employment of Russian graduates. Indicators of employment quality were proposed; the correlating technological and psychological aspects of information and communication technologies were established, considered as components of human capital that help the graduates’ adaptation and professional development on the modern labor market.

The association of congenital heart defects with prenatal exposure to air pollutants: An umbrella review

Background and aim: For idiopathic congenital heart defects (CHD), air pollution during fetal development is a potential risk factor. However, findings of previous epidemiological studies and consequently of systematic reviews, have been mixed. We aimed to synthesize and evaluate the extant evidence on associations between gestational exposure to air pollutants and CHD subtypes, using a systematic review of reviews approach ("umbrella review”). Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Epistemonikos for published and unpublished systematic reviews. The search was supplemented by the use of internet search engines and hand-searching of reference lists. The Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews ("ROBIS”) tool was used to evaluate included systematic reviews. Results: We identified ten systematic reviews, including eight meta-analyses. Moderately strong evidence for an increased risk of coarctation of the aorta following prenatal exposure to NO2 was provided by five reviews, which reported statistically homogeneous pooled odds ratios of 1.10 to 1.20 (95% confidence interval range: 0.99 to 1.41). Also, there was limited evidence for positive associations between SO2 and coarctation of the aorta, PM10 and atrial septal defects, NO2 and pulmonary artery and valve anomalies, and for both, PM2.5 and NO2 and Tetralogy of Fallot. Findings for other pollutant-CHD associations were inconsistent. Based on the ROBIS tool, a high or unclear risk of bias rating was assigned to eight out of ten reviews. Conclusion: Beyond the increased risk of coarctation of the aorta following exposure to NO2, a clear pollutant-outcome pattern was not identified. These incoherent findings may partly be explained by differences in methods used across the reviews (e.g., inclusion criteria) as well as between individual studies (e.g., exposure and outcome assessment methods). Further establishment of and adherence to systematic review methods for environmental exposures and children’s health may improve the validity and consistency of future systematic review findings.

The Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry and the changing face of scientific publishing.

The Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry and the changing face of scientific publishing.

An exploration of self-management support in the context of palliative nursing: a modified concept analysis.

BackgroundThe role of self-management is often ambiguous, yet, it is an important area in clinical practice for palliative nurses. A clear conceptual understanding, however, of what it represents is lacking.MethodThis paper reports an analysis of the concept of self-management support in palliative nursing.Avant and Walker’s method was used to guide this concept analysis.A search of electronic databases (1990–2013), use of internet search engines and supplementary hand searching produced an international data set of reviews, empirical research, editorials, protocols and guidelines.ResultsBased on the analysis self-management support in palliative nursing has been defined as assessing, planning, and implementing appropriate care to enable the patient to live until they die and supporting the patient to be given the means to master or deal with their illness or their effects of their illness themselves.ConclusionsClarity with the concept of self-management support and palliative nursing could enable nurses to provide more patient and family centred care to people facing life threatening illnesses.

Toward a Privacy Agent for Information Retrieval

In this paper, we tackle the private information retrieval (PIR) problem associated with the use of Internet search engines. We address the desire for a user to retrieve information from the Web without the search provider learning about it. Traditional PIR protocols present two main shortcomings for their application: (i) They assume cooperation by the database, which is not affordable for a real-world search engine like Google and (ii) their computational complexity is linearinthesizeofthedatabase,whichisunfeasibleinthecaseoftheWeb.Morerecentapproaches relax PIR conditions to overcome these limitations and present some level of privacy. Mostly, they aim to distort server logs regardless of the loss of information that is involved. Server logs are used by search engines for profiling and, thereby, provide personalized results. This becomes a user’s need given the growth of the Web and can also be used for targeted advertising. This study focuses on a noncooperative agent for private search that considers profiling as valuable data used for both sides of the search process. It is based on the assumption that the user’s identity is formed by the union of various areas of interests or facets. Managing the HTTP connections properly, submitted queries are mapped to different server logs according to these facets. The rationale is that these logs cannot be used for tracing the user while they are still helpful for profiling. We present a personalized query classification approach based on the user’s browsing history and to provide empirical results; we developed an attacking algorithm against the agent that shows that the disclosure risk is reduced. C

A concept analysis of oral hygiene care in dependent older adults

To report a concept analysis of oral hygiene care. Oral hygiene care, as it is provided to older patients in hospital and long-term care settings by nurses and their delegates, has the potential to contribute to the oral health of patients while preventing aspiration pneumonia as well as periodontitis, which itself has been associated with several systemic diseases. However, the state of oral cleanliness in such patients tends to be poor and despite the existence of guidelines, nursing care practices may be inadequate and not reflective of recent advances in knowledge. Concept analysis. A search of electronic databases (2002-2012), use of internet search engines, and hand searching yielded an international data set of 66 research studies, reviews, and practice guidelines. The concept analysis method of Walker and Avant was used to explore the concept of oral hygiene care in the context of frail older patients. Oral hygiene care involves approaches informed by knowing the patient, inspecting the oral cavity, removing plaque, cleansing the oral tissues, decontaminating the oral cavity, using fluoride products and maintaining oral tissue moisture. Those attributes, along with their antecedents and consequences, form a conceptual framework from which a middle-range theory of nurse-administered oral hygiene care is derived that could be tested, evaluated, modified, and translated into practice. Clarity around the concept of oral hygiene care as a nursing intervention could enable nurses to impact oral health outcomes and possibly prevent systemic diseases in older patients.

Breast examination as a cost-effective screening tool in a clinical practice setting in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Breast cancer is a disease of public health importance. It results in high morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. The high morbidity and mortality from breast cancer can be decreased by measures targeted at early detection such as screening. Breast examination as a screening tool for breast cancer in developing countries is advocated in view of its costeffectiveness.Method: The article selection method was obtained from primary and secondary literature sources which included original research articles, case control studies, review articles, proceedings, transactions and textbooks. The authors cited a clinical audit and articles published between 1988 and 2011. The search strategy included the use of internet search engines. This review was part of a larger research and the study protocol was approved by the University of Ibadan/University College Hospital, Ibadan Institutional Review Board (UI/UCH IRB). Clinical trial registration number-NHREC/05/01/2008a.Results: Breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) as screening tools for breast cancer were analysed in detail.Conclusion: Breast examination is a screening tool that is cost-effective and reliable and should be encouraged in resource-constrained countries. Given the high cost and expertise required for mammography, current efforts at screening for breast cancer in developing countries should rely more on a combination of BSE and CBE.

Use of Technology for Supporting and Developing the National Open University of Nigeria

In a country with three million applicants every year, there is very high demand for university education. Conventional universities cannot cope with admission problems because they lack manpower and infrastructural facilities. One of the ways of solving this problem was the establishment of the National Open University of Nigeria. Coping with large population of students is not a problem in the National Open University of Nigeria because of the extensive use of information and communication technology (ICT) to reach learners even in remote locations. However, adequate measures need to be initiated so that more qualified technical staff are employed and basic infrastructure is put in place to cope with these challenges. Besides, it is suggested that students should be compelled to learn and compulsorily familiarize themselves with the use of computers and use of internet search engine regularly. Similarly, the university should upload more course materials promptly, produce more audio/video tapes and video compact disc for the students while radio and television should be utilised in providing both academic and administrative support for the students. Efforts should also be intensified on how to locate and attract professional organizations and individual experts in partnership for the advancement of using needed modern technology to support the university. Key Words: Synchronous Learning, Asynchronous Learning, On-Line Support, Student Counsellors, Customised Programmes

A Study Of Internet Search Engines Usage By Undergraduate Students In Some Universities In The Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria

The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ ability to use different Internet search engines (ISEs) in Universities in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. To reveal the types of ISEs used, and identify the source through which students acquire the skills. The study adopted a descriptive survey method. Questionnaire and interview method was adopted to collect data. A total of 300 completed and returned copies were used for analyses using frequency counts and simple percentage to answer the research questions, and Z -test statistical tool to test formulated hypotheses. The study revealed that majority of the students occasionally use Internet search engines to retrieve information resources. The study also revealed tha t student use ISEs for the main purpose of retrieving information to meet their academic information needs. Problems such as lack of institutional computer laboratory with Internet connectivity for training on the use of Internet search engines, and inadequate knowledge of search skills/strategies of ISEs. It was found that there is significant difference between male and female students in the frequency of use of Internet search engines. The study will enable the students know the different Internet search engines to be utilized and different search strategies to use when searching for materials for their academic work.

Accessing the collection of a large public library : an analysis of OPAC use

Abstract Despite widespread use of Internet search engines, the online catalogue is still the main pathway to the collection of a particular library. The use of Internet search engines does, however, have implications for user expectations around the online catalogue, and search strategies when using the online catalogue. There is much research on online catalogue use that predates search engine use, and there is a need for more up-to-date research, particularly on the use of online catalogues in public libraries. This paper reports on an analysis of transaction logs of end users of the online catalogue of a large public library in Australia, the State Library of Victoria. It compares searches over four years, taking into account the search settings and search strategies and looking at search success, including the reasons for search failure. The paper also introduces the concept of abandonment rates to online catalogue search, defining a metric that adds to the useful information that can be determined from transaction logs. The paper uses the findings as the basis for its concluding recommendations for how public library users can be assisted to find what they are looking for on the library catalogue. A new context for OPAC use: the rise of search engines Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) first appeared in the 1970s (Hancock-Beaulieu & Borgman, 1996) gradually replacing the card catalogue. With the development of computer networks such as Telnet, users were able to access the catalogue remotely at a time of their choosing. Since then, OPACs have developed from single colour text screens that can be connected to remotely via Telnet, through to graphical user interfaces that can be accessed over the Internet. In the 1980s and 1990s, a vast amount of research was conducted on OPAC use. This has necessitated the periodic publication of review articles. Large and Beheshti (1997), for example, review more than seventy pieces of research on OPAC use published between 1990 and 1996, while Tenopir (2003) summarises more than 200 pieces of research on this topic published between 1995 and 2003. Although fairly recent, most of this research was undertaken in a technological context very different from now. For example the review of the literature in Bates (2003) relies on studies conducted before the mid 1990s, a time when few people had experience with using the Internet, and before the widespread use of Internet search engines. Markey (2007) describes the 1980s as the golden age of the online catalogue because library users depended on it almost exclusively for finding information on the topics that interested them (n.p.). In 1995, Internet search engines were known to only a small minority with access to the Internet. By contrast, in the month of April 2008, Google handled 5.1 billion queries in the US alone (Google Milestones, 2008). Search engines such as Google enable users to find highly relevant web sites by simply typing a few relevant words into a text box. Research conducted since the rise of search engine use suggests that people use the principle of least effort in their information seeking (Bates, 2003), favouring convenience (Tenopir, 2003) and ease of use (OCLC, 2005) when choosing amongst electronic information sources. The OPAC is convenient in that it is possible for users with a connection to the Internet to access the catalogue at any time, from any place. Even so, much research shows that people start their information searches with a search engine, and in particular with Google (see Markey, 2007 for a summary). Although there are many search engines available, Google is by far the most used. In 2008, Google's market share was almost 90% in the UK (Hitwise UK, 2008) and Australia (Hitwise Australia, 2008), 80% in Europe (Comscore, 2008) and more than 70% in the United States (Google nears 72 percent of U.S searches in November 2008, 2008). Users of search engines include searchers who are looking for information on the Internet as well as searchers wanting to find information contained in books. …

Evaluation of E-Learning Readiness: A Study of Informational Behavior of University Students

In this study we investigated the behavior of university students from different universities and faculties of Thailand with regard to search, evaluate, use and share information. Our goal was to prepare the introduction of personal information management into the e-learning curriculum. We compare our results with data reported by others. Method: For gathering the data we used a questionnaire in Thai language, which was actually translated from the English original and sent to various universities in Thailand. Follow-up interviews with an adapted set of questions were carried out to generate qualitative data and a deeper insight into the knowledge and practices of the students. Analysis: Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out on the data coming from 1,317 university students. Quantitative analysis employed the statistical package SPSS. Results: We have got a picture of the present informational behavior of Thai students. The results showed some differences between Thai and foreign students, for example in the use of Internet search engines. The insights gained by this study will be applied in the generation of the part of the e-learning curriculum that deals with the students' personal information management and can be applied to informational behavior of students in other countries like Mexico, Brazil, etc.

H(k)‐private information retrieval from privacy‐uncooperative queryable databases

PurposeThis paper aims to address the privacy problem associated with the use of internet search engines. The purpose of the paper is to propose and validate a set of methods and protocols to guarantee the privacy of users' queries.Design/methodology/approachIn this paperh(k)‐private information retrieval (h(k)‐PIR) is defined as a practical compromise between computational efficiency and privacy. Also presented areh(k)‐PIR protocols that can be used to query any database, which does not even need to know that the user is trying to preserve his or her privacy.FindingsThe proposed methods are able to properly protect the privacy of users' queries. When internet users apply the protocols, search engines (e.g. Google) are not able to determine unequivocally the real interests of their users. The quality of the results does decrease with the increase in privacy, but the obtained trade‐off is excellent.Practical implicationsCurrent private information retrieval (PIR) protocols suffer from two significant shortcomings: their computational complexity isO(n) wherenis the number of records in the database, which precludes their use for very large databases and web search engines; and they assume that the database server cooperates in the PIR protocol, which prevents deployment in real‐life uncooperative settings. The proposed protocols overcome both problems.Originality/valueThis is the first set of protocols that offer practical protection for the privacy of the queries that internet users submit to an internet search engine. The proposal has been implemented and it will be released to the general public soon. It will help to protect the right to privacy of millions of internet users.

'Your cuts are just as important as anyone else's': Individuals' online discussions of self-injury

Although self-injury is a relatively common behaviour, the meanings of such behaviour for those who engage in it remain poorly understood. Here we report findings from an exploratory study of how contributors negotiate self-injury in the context of online discussion forums. Data come from forums identified through use of internet search engines. Contributors’ postings to discussion threads on these forums were analysed using discourse analysis. Within discussion threads, contributors construct self-injury as positive, either in itself or in certain forms, rather than negative or harmful behaviour. These constructions present challenges for health promotion initiatives. More research is needed into how descriptions of self-injury are bound up with negotiations of individual identities.

Understanding Query Formation in the Use of Internet Search Engines

Internet search engine use is notoriously challenging and frustrating to typical users. Most users are inefficient at finding what they are looking for and often give up before achieving their goals. Most commercial search engines have advanced search interfaces that are designed to facilitate increased precision and recall, but users generally avoid these due to poor usability and high perceived difficulty of use. This paper outlines three studies that investigated the strategies and effectiveness of user-generated search queries. Scenarios were formulated to encourage users to construct the single best query for each task. In general, users were unable to construct accurate queries for tasks that required compound logic. Study 1 verified the reluctance of users to use advanced search features. Study 2 investigated the use of Boolean and proximity search commands and capitalization strategies. Participants generally did not use them properly. Study 3 compared the use of basic search with advanced search when users were forced to use each one. Performance was similar but preference measures showed a significant advantage for basic search while confidence was higher for advanced search.

What next for Internet journals? Implications of the trend towards paid placement in search engines

Free online journals have long had a difficult time surviving on the Internet. One method of article discovery for these publications has been through the use of Internet search engines. Will these journals and other non-profit organizations be lost in the Internet's black hole with the advent of paid placement, inclusion, and submission?