Retrieval effectiveness of image search engines

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aabid Hussain ◽  
Sumeer Gul ◽  
Tariq Ahmad Shah ◽  
Sheikh Shueb

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the retrieval effectiveness of three image search engines (ISE) – Google Images, Yahoo Image Search and Picsearch in terms of their image retrieval capability. It is an effort to carry out a Cranfield experiment to know how efficient the commercial giants in the image search are and how efficient an image specific search engine is. Design/methodology/approach The keyword search feature of three ISEs – Google images, Yahoo Image Search and Picsearch – was exploited to make search with keyword captions of photos as query terms. Selected top ten images were used to act as a testbed for the study, as images were searched in accordance with features of the test bed. Features to be looked for included size (1200 × 800), format of images (JPEG/JPG) and the rank of the original image retrieved by ISEs under study. To gauge the overall retrieval effectiveness in terms of set standards, only first 50 result hits were checked. Retrieval efficiency of select ISEs were examined with respect to their precision and relative recall. Findings Yahoo Image Search outscores Google Images and Picsearch both in terms of precision and relative recall. Regarding other criteria – image size, image format and image rank in search results, Google Images is ahead of others. Research limitations/implications The study only takes into consideration basic image search feature, i.e. text-based search. Practical implications The study implies that image search engines should focus on relevant descriptions. The study evaluated text-based image retrieval facilities and thereby offers a choice to users to select best among the available ISEs for their use. Originality/value The study provides an insight into the effectiveness of the three ISEs. The study is one of the few studies to gauge retrieval effectiveness of ISEs. Study also produced key findings that are important for all ISE users and researchers and the Web image search industry. Findings of the study will also prove useful for search engine companies to improve their services.

2021 ◽  
pp. 026666692110102
Author(s):  
Mehrdad (Mozaffar) CheshmehSohrabi ◽  
Elham Adnani Sadati

This experimental study used a checklist to evaluate the performance of seven search engines consisting of four Image General Search Engines (IGSEs) (namely, Google, Yahoo DuckDuckGo and Bing), and three Image Specialized Search Engines (ISSEs) (namely, Flicker, PicSearch, and GettyImages) in image retrieval. The findings indicated that the recall average of Image General Search Engines and Image Specialized Search Engines was found to be 76.32% and 24/51% with the precision average of 82/08% and 32/21%, respectively. As the results showed, Yahoo, Google and DuckDuckGo ranked at the top in image retrieval with no significant difference. However, a remarkable superiority with almost 50% difference was observed between the general and specialized image search engines. It was also found that an intense competition existed between Google, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo in image retrieval. The overall results can provide valuable insights for new search engine designers and users in choosing the appropriate search engines for image retrieval. Moreover, the results obtained through the applied equations could be used in assessing and evaluating other search tools, including search engines.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Menard ◽  
Nouf Khashman

Purpose – This paper aims to present the results of the second stage of a research project aiming to develop a bilingual interface for the retrieval of digital images. The main objective of this phase was to investigate the roles and usefulness of search characteristics and functionalities for image retrieval in a bilingual context. Design/methodology/approach – A bilingual (English and French) questionnaire containing closed and open questions was developed and administered to two groups of participants: 20 English-speaking and 20 French-speaking respondents. The quantitative data was analysed according to statistical methods while the content of the open-ended questions was analysed and coded to identify emergent themes. Findings – This study shows that the image search process still presents difficulties and frustration from the image searchers' point-of-view. The findings established that keyword search remains the main method compared with the use of predefined categories or searching with a similar image or a drawing. They emphasised the importance of several functionalities as an integral part of the image search process and revealed the importance of being able to search for images with words extracted from more than one language. Originality/value – The main contribution of this exploratory study is to provide an understanding of how real users search for images. Combined with the exploration of best practices for image retrieval, the analysis of real image searchers' behaviours provides the foundation for the initial organisation of the search interface model we will develop in the ultimate stage of the research project.


2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Strzelecki

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify how many removal requests are made, how often, and who makes these requests, as well as which websites are reported to search engines so they can be removed from the search results. Design/methodology/approach Undertakes a deep analysis of more than 3.2bn removed pages from Google’s search results requested by reporting organizations from 2011 to 2018 and over 460m removed pages from Bing’s search results requested by reporting organizations from 2015 to 2017. The paper focuses on pages that belong to the .pl country coded top-level domain (ccTLD). Findings Although the number of requests to remove data from search results has been growing year on year, fewer URLs have been reported in recent years. Some of the requests are, however, unjustified and are rejected by teams representing the search engines. In terms of reporting copyright violations, one company in particular stands out (AudioLock.Net), accounting for 28.1 percent of all reports sent to Google (the top ten companies combined were responsible for 61.3 percent of the total number of reports). Research limitations/implications As not every request can be published, the study is based only what is publicly available. Also, the data assigned to Poland is only based on the ccTLD domain name (.pl); other domain extensions for Polish internet users were not considered. Originality/value This is first global analysis of data from transparency reports published by search engine companies as prior research has been based on specific notices.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 374-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber A. Smith-Ditizio ◽  
Alan David Smith ◽  
Walter R. Kendall

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide useful insights underlying the popularity of search engine technologies within a social media-intensive environment. Design/methodology/approach The degree of social interaction for social media platforms that integrate search engine technologies as part of the homepage and related experience is very mixed on part of its users. Through Barnard’ theory of authority acceptance, social media and its popularity may be examined by the ability of its users to create effective messages that can be broadcasted to many, yet controlled by individual. The hypotheses tested the interaction of social media and search engine with gender and technological ease-of-use factors. Findings The statistical evidence suggested that significant technological and ease-of-use aspects of search engines are not meaningful, based on gender alone. Males may slightly be prone to take advantage of such technologies, but their search and use patterns are not much varied from their female counterparts. Social media, generally more fully captured authority in individual search patterns, and a number of interactions among gender status, search engine characteristics, and social media were found to be significant and profound. The testing of these hypotheses directly reflect the complexities of unique needs among users of search engines within a social media environment. Practical implications Search engine technologies with a social media context has allowed for the development of a modern, user-driven internet experience that has been powered by users’ imagination and is designed to at least partially satisfy users’ need for self-directed engagement. Organizations are well advised to provide a mindful, less controlled, and more interactive presence of potential users, especially through an increasingly mobile presence. Originality/value Individuals as well as organizations are rapidly discovering that it is becoming easier to share and distribute their content, especially for more creative and innovative content, among all of its users. As businesses continue to focus on the quality of one’s own content, individuals are increasingly taking advantage of some tools to exert more control over their experiences and what they are willing to share, resulting in more user-based partnerships will formulate. As the transition of traditional forms of marketing to newer forms of integrated marketing, the future for search engines as marketing tools by social media users appears to be very promising in adding contextual content within users’ homepage.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Menard ◽  
Margaret Smithglass

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the first phase of a research project that aims to develop a bilingual interface for the retrieval of digital images. The main objective of this extensive exploration was to identify the characteristics and functionalities of existing search interfaces and similar tools available for image retrieval. Design/methodology/approach – An examination of 159 resources that offer image retrieval was carried out. First, general search functionalities offered by content-based image retrieval systems and text-based systems are described. Second, image retrieval in a multilingual context is explored. Finally, the search functionalities provided by four types of organisations (libraries, museums, image search engines and stock photography databases) are investigated. Findings – The analysis of functionalities offered by online image resources revealed a very high degree of consistency within the types of resources examined. The resources found to be the most navigable and interesting to use were those built with standardised vocabularies combined with a clear, compact and efficient user interface. The analysis also highlights that many search engines are equipped with multiple language support features. A translation device, however, is implemented in only a few search engines. Originality/value – The examination of best practices for image retrieval and the analysis of the real users' expectations, which will be obtained in the next phase of the research project, constitute the foundation upon which the search interface model that the authors propose to develop is based. It also provides valuable suggestions and guidelines for search engine researchers, designers and developers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 204-218
Author(s):  
Elaine Ménard ◽  
Vanessa Girouard

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a search engine dedicated to image retrieval in a bilingual (French and English) context. This paper presents the first phase of user testing that was carried out to validate and refine SINCERITY, the new search device. Design/methodology/approach – This first phase of the search engine testing involved a small group of image searchers (10 French-speaking and 10 English-speaking participants) who were asked to retrieve a sample of images (30) using the new tool. A questionnaire was also developed to compile the comments of the users. Findings – The results of this first phase of testing revealed that even though image indexing was sometimes problematic, the participants did not encounter major difficulties retrieving images with SINCERITY. Comments and suggestions received will be taken into consideration to improve the performance and aesthetics of the search engine. Originality/value – Once fully operational, SINCERITY will allow users to search images in an attractive and user-friendly manner. Eventually, other types of images (documentary and artistic) will be added to the image database linked to the image search engine, as well as other languages.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungin Lee ◽  
Wonhong Jang ◽  
Eunsol Lee ◽  
Sam G. Oh

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of, and identify core techniques of, search engine optimization (SEO) techniques applied to the web (http://lg-sl.net) and mobile (http//m.lg-sl.net) Science Land content and services at LG Sangnam Library in Korea. Design/methodology/approach – In accordance with three major SEO guidelines, ten SEO techniques were identified and applied, and their implications were extracted on three areas: improved search engine accessibility, increased relevance between site content and search engine keywords, and improved site credibility. The effects were quantitatively analyzed in terms of registered search engine keywords and influx of visits via search engines. Findings – This study shows that SEO techniques help increase the exposure of the library services and the number of visitors through search engines. Practical implications – SEO techniques have been applied to a few non-Korean information service organizations, but it is not a well-accepted practice in Korean libraries. And the dominant search engines in Korea have published their own SEO guidelines. Prior to this study, no significant endeavors have been undertaken in the context of Korean library services that have adopted SEO techniques to boost exposure of library services and increase user traffics. Originality/value – This is the first published study that has applied optimized SEO techniques to Korean web and mobile library services, in order to demonstrate the usefulness of the techniques for maximized exposure of library content.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mildred Coates

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine two research questions: What search engine queries lead users to the Auburn University electronic theses and dissertations (AUETDs) collection? Do these queries vary for users in different locations and, if so, how? Design/methodology/approach – Search engine queries used to locate the AUETDs collection were obtained from Google Analytics and were separated into groups based on user location. These queries were assigned to empirically derived categories based on their content. Findings – Most local users’ queries contained person names, variants for thesis or dissertation, and variants for Auburn University. Over a third were queries for the AUETDs collection, while the remainder were seeking theses and dissertations from specific Auburn researchers. Most out-of-state users’ queries contained title and subject keywords and appeared to be seeking specific research studies. Queries from users located within the state but outside of the local area were intermediate between these groups. Practical implications – Over two-thirds of visits to the AUETDs collection were made by search engine users which reinforces the importance of having repository content indexed by search engines such as Google. The specificity of their queries indicates that full-text indexing will be more helpful to users than metadata indexing alone. Originality/value – This is the first detailed analysis of search engine queries used to locate an ETDs collection. It may also be the last, as query content for the major search engines is no longer available from Google Analytics.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0

In the growing world of technology, where everything is available in just one click, the user expectations has increased with time. In the era of Search Engines, where Google, Yahoo are providing the facility to search through text and voice and image , it has become a complex work to handle all the operations and lot more of data storage is needed. It is also a time consuming process. In the proposed Image retrieval Search Engine, the user enters the queried image and that image is being matched with the template images . The proposed approach takes the input image with 15% accuracy to 100% accuracy to retrieve the intended image by the user. But it is found that due to the efficiency of the applied algorithm, in all cases, the retrieved images are with the same accuracy irrespective of the input query image accuracy. This implementation is very much useful in the fields of forensic, defense and diagnostics system in medical field etc. .


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