Googling Trends in Conservation Biology

Abstract

Web-crawling approaches, that is, automated programs data mining the internet to obtain information about a particular process, have recently been proposed for monitoring early signs of ecosystem degradation or for establishing crop calendars. However, lack of a clear conceptual and methodological framework has prevented the development of such approaches within the field of conservation biology. Our objective was to illustrate how Google Trends, a freely accessible web-crawling engine, can be used to track changes in timing of biological processes, spatial distribution of invasive species, and level of public awareness about key conservation issues. Google Trends returns the number of internet searches that were made for a keyword in a given region of the world over a defined period. Using data retrieved online for 13 countries, we exemplify how Google Trends can be used to study the timing of biological processes, such as the seasonal recurrence of pollen release or mosquito outbreaks across a latitudinal gradient. We mapped the spatial extent of results from Google Trends for 5 invasive species in the United States and found geographic patterns in invasions that are consistent with their coarse-grained distribution at state levels. From 2004 through 2012, Google Trends showed that the level of public interest and awareness about conservation issues related to ecosystem services, biodiversity, and climate change increased, decreased, and followed both trends, respectively. Finally, to further the development of research approaches at the interface of conservation biology, collective knowledge, and environmental management, we developed an algorithm that allows the rapid retrieval of Google Trends data.

Human Thermal Conditions and North Europeans’ Web Searching Behavior (Google Trends) on Mediterranean Touristic Destinations

“…This is an indication that the effect of the rising PET value on the searching frequency is almost simultaneous. The selection of Google data gave the research some unique advantages, because using this web service, individuals are able to search without any intervention, instructions or prompts, thus the recorded responses and reactions are most likely spontaneous [47,[49][50][51][52][53][54][55].…”

“…Google Trends returns the usage volume of a particular search term (keyword) for a specific region of the world over a defined period. Search-term hits are recorded at the spatial resolution of individual cities on a second administration level area at the temporal resolution of a week or month [47]. Generally, according the Google company "Search results are proportionate to the time and location of a query: Each data point is divided by the total searches of the geography and time range it represents, to compare relative popularity" according to Google [48].…”

“…Query results are accessed by logging into a Google account and downloading a csv file of the data. Manually downloading the many files generated by entering separate search-term queries is cumbersome [47]. Hence, we utilized an R package called "rgtrends" which allows the rapid retrieval of Google Trends data and a better data manipulation.…”

A horizon scan of global conservation issues for 2014

“…There also are different approaches to horizon scanning, such as use of software that systematically browses the internet to identify issues of increasing frequency [79] or identifying all the threats to an issue, such as threats to viability of migratory shorebirds [9].…”

The thrill of the chase: uncovering illegal sport hunting in Brazil through YouTube™ posts

“…Moreover, some studies expose evidence of the presence of sport hunting in strictly protected reserves (e.g., In this context, the internet has the potential to contribute to the access to information on restricted topics such as illegal sport hunting. Online data are widely used by economists and epidemiologists in their research, but they are still rarely exploited in conservation studies (Proulx et al 2014). YouTube™ is one of the most popular websites used to share videos online and has become an important forum for the exchange of public opinion.…”