Research Impact: Using Network Science to Spot Fake Reviews

View Research Insight: Top Network Science Experts

Online shopping has become increasingly popular in recent years due to the pandemic and the wide availability of products online. Although shopping online is convenient, it comes with risks.

People increasingly rely on online reviews to determine if a product is worth buying. But, how do we know that these reviews are genuine and legitimate? Saunders professors Gijs Overgoor, Ph.D., and Ali Tosyali, Ph.D., recently looked into this issue. Their published research on the topic is gaining local and national attention.

“While online shopping provides ease and convenience, false reviews are hazardous as consumers rely heavily on other customer’s opinions,” says Overgoor. “It is important to look at how novel technologies influence the sale of products and services, and it is crucial we learn how to solve these problems that arise,” says Tosyali.
 

Ali Tosyali headshot

Ali Tosyali is an assistant professor of management information systems. His primary research interest areas are at the intersection of network science, machine learning, and complex systems, looking at topics such as opinion mining, social network analysis, and business analytics. 
Gjis Overgoor headshoot

Gijs Overgoor is an assistant professor of marketing at Saunders whose interest areas revolve around how artificial intelligence and econometrics can solve modern-day marketing problems.


Saunders students, specifically those in marketing and business analytics programs, have been looking at this study in their courses. This groundbreaking research on detecting fake reviews is teaching students about the implications of modern technology and ways to problem-solve in the business world.

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This is an example of Saunders College of Business faculty research that is gaining national and international recognition by peers and the media. For media inquiries, please contact Nathaniel Smith at nlsmkt@rit.edu.
 

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