2 Good and 2 Bad Things About Google’s New Data Journalism Feature

Researching for articles is an integral part of my job. Searching through data is key to providing quality content. Google aims to help with a new data journalism feature.

How Google’s Going To Help With Data Journalism

Google's new feature highlights relevant data within articles, listing them above the title as a preview, potentially saving significant research time. Here are the pros and cons of this new feature:

The Good

1. Save Time

Google proposes highlighting relevant data within articles and listing them above the title. This preview helps researchers quickly assess the relevance of content, saving significant time. The preview feature could eliminate the frustration of reading through irrelevant articles, making research more efficient.

2. Refine Search Criteria

The feature will help refine search criteria by presenting more targeted data previews. This assists in identifying the right datasets more quickly, reducing the trial-and-error approach often used in research. Researchers can enter more precise search terms, streamlining the research process.

The Bad

1. Potential Misinterpretation

Having humans review data previews can lead to misinterpretation. Without full context, data can be misunderstood, potentially leading to incorrect conclusions. While professionals also make mistakes, relying solely on previews might increase the risk of errors.

2. Handling Dense Reports

Dense academic reports with complex language may challenge Google's algorithm. The feature might struggle with parsing and summarizing intricate data, which could limit its effectiveness. Google's ability to handle such reports will be crucial in determining the feature's overall success.

Get Ready For It Now

Google's developers are preparing for this feature by encouraging published articles to be easily identifiable for data extraction. Authors are advised to prepare their data in structured formats, such as tables, CSV files, or structured objects, to aid Google's algorithms in recognizing and presenting relevant data.

Conclusion

Conducting research is daunting but necessary for quality journalism. Google's new feature aims to ease the burden by providing quick data previews, although it has its drawbacks. Researchers will need to balance the convenience of previews with the need for comprehensive analysis. As the feature evolves, it holds the potential to significantly enhance the research process, making it a valuable tool for journalists and researchers alike.

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