The fake news making rounds on social media platforms that Google has confirmed that the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia is the biggest liar is false.
Google has not commissioned or conducted any research to that effect and a claim by the section of the public that Google has confirmed such a false report is erroneous and unfounded.
This was contained in a press release by the Centre for Knowledge Management and Research, otherwise known as PACKS Africa.
The association was reacting to a claim originating from a political activist’s twitter account and subsequently published on other social media platforms that Google had confirmed that the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, was the biggest liar.
It said checks from Wikipedia, which was cited as proof that Google has confirmed such false claim revealed that no single reference was made to the Vice President as a liar.
“We wish to mention that Google search (as an instrument) incorporates some other algorithms for corporate advantage, which explains this abnormal phenomenon,” it added.
The release, therefore, took the opportunity to educate the public on the difference between search and research.
It said searching for information and conducting research were two phenomena that are very often misrepresented or confused by the averagely educated person.
It added that access to the internet and search engines have made searching for information easily, however, that could not be equated to conducting research, which is a professional activity that requires the application of rigorous methodological considerations to ensure the highest levels of credibility.
“In essence, we can all search for information, but we cannot all be researchers, since the latter requires some extra investment in professional competence,” it said.
PACKS Africa, is a youth-led Pan-African think tank in Ghana which provides support services in the evidence-to-policy sector.
Ishmael Batoma, ISD
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