Google Trends in Infodemiology and Infoveillance: Methodology Framework

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Infodemiology
• Infoveillance

Background:

• Internet data, particularly Google Trends, is increasingly used in health informatics to study human behavior.
• Google Trends provides data on online interest variations for keywords over time, useful for health topic analysis and disease prediction.
• A lack of a specific methodology framework exists for utilizing Google Trends in health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of Google Trends tool and data.
• To present the first methodology framework for using Google Trends in infodemiology and infoveillance.
• To outline key factors for a strong methodological base and ensure valid results.

Main Methods:

• Presenting a step-by-step guide for methodology using Google Trends.
• Analyzing critical methodological points for result validity.
• Detailing selection criteria for keywords, regions, periods, and categories.

Main Results:

• The article offers a structured approach to employing Google Trends in health research.
• Identifies essential factors for robust methodology in infodemiology and infoveillance.
• Emphasizes the importance of careful selection of search parameters for valid data.

Conclusions:

• A strong methodological basis is crucial for the value and validity of Google Trends data in health research.
• The proposed framework guides researchers in effectively using Google Trends for analyzing online queries.
• This methodology is vital as online search data becomes integral to big data health research.