The art and science of searching MEDLINE to answer clinical questions -: Finding the right number of articles
The art and science of searching MEDLINE to answer clinical questions -: Finding the right number of articles
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DOI：
10.1017/s0266462399015214
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发表时间：
1999-03-01
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Centor, RM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Allison, JJ;Kiefe, CI;Centor, RM
当前的医疗环境使得信息检索对于临床医生来说具有实际重要性。临床医生可以采用多种途径，但在这里我们重点关注 MEDLINE，总结当前的技术水平并提供一种创新的技能增强方法。由于新的搜索引擎迅速出现，我们专注于可以轻松适应各种系统（甚至尚未可用的系统）的通用原则。我们为 MEDLINE 搜索结果提出了一个理想化的分类系统。 A 型搜索会产生一些直接关注当前问题的高质量文章。 B 类搜索会产生大量文章，其中一些文章比其他文章更相关。 C 类搜索产生的文章很少或根本没有，而且找到的文章也没有密切关系。如果确实存在相关的高质量文章，则通常可以通过关注搜索技术来改进 B 型和 C 型搜索。问题源于较差的召回率和较差的精确度。最艰巨的任务在于实现文章过少和过多之间的平衡。通过提供理论框架和几个实际例子，我们帮助检索者克服以下障碍：a）未能从一个精心设计的问题开始； b) 未使用医学主题标题； c) 未能利用召回率和精确率之间的关系； d) 未能对搜索应用适当的限制。思考和实践将增加搜索 MEDLINE 的实用性和乐趣。
The current medical environment makes information retrieval a matter of practical importance for clinicians. Many avenues present themselves to the clinician, but here we focus on MEDLINE by summarizing the current state of the art and providing an innovative approach for skill enhancement. Because new search engines appear rapidly, we focus on generic principles that can be easily adapted to various systems, even those not yet available. We propose an idealized classification system for the results of a MEDLINE search. Type A searches produce a few articles of high quality that are directly focused on the immediate question. Type B searches yield a large number of articles, some more relevant than others. Type C searches produce few or no articles, and those that are located are not germane. Providing that relevant, high-quality articles do exist, type B and C searches may often be improved with attention to search technique. Problems stem from poor recall and poor precision. The most daunting task lies in achieving the balance between too few and too many articles. By providing a theoretical framework and several practical examples, we prepare the searcher to overcome the following barriers: a) failure to begin with a well-built question; b) failure to use the Medical Subject Headings; c) failure to leverage the relationship between recall and precision; and d) failure to apply proper limits to the search. Thought and practice will increase the utility and enjoyment of searching MEDLINE.