Our screening of the deep Web shows the following distribution of search databases by topic area. What has previously been lacking is a comprehensive way to identify all of the relevant deep Web sites. Moreover, until BrightPlanet , there has been no way to simultaneously search all of these sites with a single query. If the most coveted commodity of the information age is indeed information, then the value of this content is immeasurable. This first-ever study describes the nature of the deep Web, and quantifies its size, importance and quality.
Major sections deal with study methodology, findings, and implications.
The paper has been written according to peer-reviewable standards. It contains 7 figures and 10 tables, with complete references and citations. All rights reserved. Privacy and site use policies. Report it here .