Searchers 'only take in what they want to'

2 January 2008

People using the internet for research take in only what they want to read, Australian researchers say.

A study conducted at the University of New South Wales in Sydney has revealed that people pay more attention to search results where they match their pre-existing beliefs.

The research focused on people's use of search engines to diagnose health problems, but Professor Enrico Coiera of the university's Centre for Health Informatics said that the findings were applicable across other fields.

The work also confirms previous studies into the importance of where information is placed within search results.

"The first or the last document the user sees has a much greater impact on their decisions," said Professor Coiera.

He added: "Our research shows that, even if search engines do find the 'right' information, people may still draw the wrong conclusions – in other words, their conclusions are biased.

"This means that providing people with the right information on its own may not be enough."

Category: Natural search, Search engines