Exploring the academic invisible web

Abstract(s)

The Invisible Web is often discussed in the academic context, where its contents (mainly in the form of databases) are of great importance. But this discussion is mainly based on some seminal research done by Sherman and Price (2001) and Bergman (2001), respectively. We focus on the types of Invisible Web content relevant for academics and the improvements made by search engines to deal with these content types. In addition, we question the volume of the Invisible Web as stated by Bergman. Our main goal is to paint a clear picture of the real importance of the Invisible Web and the approaches to index its contents.