These criteria are just a few of the ways an experienced web researcher evaluates the usefulness of a page. Many of the major players in the information and computer industries are working to encapsulate this process in computer software, to make the process of managing and finding information more effective.

Google, for example, is constantly redesigning its cataloguing and indexing software to take account of different types of data — for example, Google Scholar and Google Books. Other companies such as IBM and Microsoft are working on similar themes, though often with a more business-information perspective.

Other smaller research projects are tackling the issue by examining the nature of the web surrounding a particular page (e.g. the Clever Project). All these attempts at quantifying the notion of authority contribute to an emerging field in academic study - e-Science.