(20 Jan 2026) Kudos has launched a fast-track research initiative to examine the impact of zero-click search and AI overview panels on scholarly publishing, with De Gruyter Brill, Emerald Publishing, IOP Publishing, Silverchair, and Springer Nature joining as launch partners.
The study will assess how zero-click search affects publisher traffic, usage measurement, business models, and research integrity across the scholarly ecosystem. It will also examine broader implications for trust in the scholarly record as AI-generated summaries and overview panels become more prevalent in research discovery.
Codenamed ‘Taming the Crocodile’, the project takes its name from the “the Crocodile Effect,” a term describing the widening gap between content impressions in search engines, and click-throughs to source platforms. The research will combine surveys on user perceptions and behaviors with desk research and interviews to identify how organizations within and outside scholarly publishing are responding to zero-click search challenges.
The study will also deliver practical recommendations for publishers and platforms, including guidance on implementing Answer-Engine Optimization (AEO) strategies for AI-driven and zero-click discovery environments. Findings are intended to support editorial, product, technical, and marketing teams as they adapt workflows and metrics to evolving discovery behaviors.
Kudos has previously conducted sponsored research projects in collaboration with publishers, offering shared insights and analysis as an alternative to individual large-scale studies. Additional publishers and organizations are being invited to participate as sponsors in the current initiative.
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