About
Researchers Prof. Hugh Shanahan from Royal Holloway University of London and Louise Bezuidenhout from the University of Oxford embarked on a collaborative mission to understand the global accessibility of specific web pages. Their primary objective was to determine if researchers worldwide have consistent access to these pages, irrespective of their geographical locations.
- Study highlighted disparities in global web page accessibility
- Utilizing Bright Data’s Residential IPs to simulate web access from various global locations
Challenge
The challenge faced by the researchers was to access and analyze web pages from various global locations to check their accessibility. To overcome this hurdle, they turned to The Bright Initiative in order to utilize Bright Data’s Residential IPs. By using these market leading solutions, they could simulate access from different regions, thereby gaining insights into the accessibility of the web pages from those areas.
I wouldn’t be able to do my research without access to public online data. It allows us to perform meta-analysis – gathering data from many different pieces of research and synthesizing it to get the bigger picture. There is so much work being done in life sciences, social sciences, climate studies, the digital humanities, etc., and having access to it all to get the bigger picture is key.”
Prof. Hugh Shanahan, on behalf of Royal Holloway University and Oxford University
Impact
The research provided valuable insights into the disparities in web page access across different regions. By leveraging Bright Data’s technology, the researchers could gather comprehensive data, offering a clearer understanding of global web accessibility. This study underscores the importance of ensuring equal access to online resources, regardless of location, as it can significantly impact research and knowledge dissemination.
Full Article: Rethinking the A in FAIR Data: Issues of Data Access and Accessibility in Research
