- Introducing Open and Reproducible Web Search for the Social Sciences
- Investigating Search: A Hands-on Workshop with the Investigating Search Toolkit
- How Search Engines Speak – a Foucauldian Framework for SERPs as Epistemological Actants
- Conducting Search Data Related Studies with the Result Assessment Tool (RAT)
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Track A
Afternoon · 13:45–17:00
Conducting Search Data Related Studies with the Result Assessment Tool (RAT)
Overview
The Result Assessment Tool (RAT) is a free, open-source research software that enables researchers to collect, analyze, and evaluate results from search engines, large language models (LLMs), and other search systems. During this workshop, participants will be introduced to the software and will have the opportunity to work on their own study ideas. They will practically explore how RAT can assist in addressing various research questions. This 180-minute workshop session will actively engage participants, drawing on their expertise and experiences.
Who should attend
The workshop is open to everyone, regardless of experience or profession. No prior knowledge or materials are necessary.
What you'll learn
- Identification of relevant search queries
- Automatic gathering of search results from various search systems
- Automatic analyses, including result overlap as well as search engine optimization (SEO) and readability scorings for various study types
- Evaluation of the search results with jurors, for relevance or usability, for example
Schedule
13:45–14:00
Introduction
14:00–14:30
Tutorial
14:30–14:45
Showcases
14:45–15:15
Break
15:15–16:45
Activity
16:45–17:00
Future Plans
Presenters
Sebastian Sünkler
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Sebastian Sünkler, M.A., is a Research Associate, Research Software Engineer, and lecturer at the Faculty of Computer Science and Digital Society at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. Since he was a university student, he has been interested in search engines and information retrieval. Among other projects, he has been working on the Result Assessment Tool. His research focuses on evaluating search engines and the behavior of search engine users.
sebastian.suenkler@haw-hamburg.de
Oliver Koop
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Oliver Koop, M.A., is working as a Research Associate, Marketing Manager and Lecturer at the Faculty of Computer Science and Digital Society at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences since 2025. He is primarily responsible for marketing activities relating to the "Result Assessment Tool (RAT)". Previously, he worked in various positions as an online marketing expert in the private sector. He received his Master's degree in Digital Communication in 2019 after completing his Bachelor's degree in Library and Information Management in 2017.
oliver.koop@haw-hamburg.de
Sebastian Schultheiß
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Sebastian Schultheiß, M.A., is a Research Associate at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) within the Search Studies research group. As an information scientist, his research focuses on commercial search engines from a user perspective, specifically examining how search engine marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and AI-generated content influence user behavior and society. He recently completed his doctoral candidacy at the Humboldt University of Berlin with the distinction of summa cum laude.
sebastian.schultheiss@haw-hamburg.de
Björn Quast
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Björn Quast, M.A., is working as a Software Developer at the Faculty of Computer Science and Digital Society at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences since 2026. He is primarily responsible for activities relating to the "Result Assessment Tool (RAT)". He received his Master's degree in International Information Management in 2009.
bjoern.quast@haw-hamburg.de
Tuhina Kumar
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Tuhina Kumar is a researcher at the Faculty of Computer Science and Digital Society at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Data Science at RWTH Aachen, having previously completed her Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
tuhina.kumar@haw-hamburg.de
Dirk Lewandowski
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Dirk Lewandowski is Professor for Information Research & Information Retrieval at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg), Germany. He is a leading international expert in Information Science, specializing in user behaviour in web search and the analysis of the societal role of search engines. His research centers on the complex interplay between users, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and commercial interests in digital search environments.
dirk.lewandowski@haw-hamburg.deLearn more about the tool: rat-software.org