[Retrieval of bioethical information from the SIBIL database]

SIBIL (Italian Online Bioethical Information System) is the database distributed on the net by the Istituto Superiore di Sanita through the homonymous system, conceived for a systematic dissemination of bioethical information, which is scattered in a multitude of informative resources, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. The present work shows the structure and the main features of the database, which aims to provide a regular update on the national ethical debate through the collection of a wide range of documents. Emphasis is laid on the query mechanisms through practical suggestions which may contribute to a more precise searching, thus granting the retrieval of relevant documents. The article also describes the short-term development of the system, which is expected to take part in a European bioethical net in the near future.