MEDLINE search retrieval issues: A longitudinal query analysis of five vendor platforms
C Sean Burns1, Tyler Nix2, Robert M Shapiro3
1School of Information Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 6, 2021
Summary
Search results on MEDLINE databases like PubMed vary significantly across platforms due to differences in data, search fields, and updates. Understanding these variations is crucial for accurate biomedical information retrieval.
Area of Science:
- Bibliometrics
- Health Informatics
- Information Science
Background:
- Biomedical databases are essential for clinical decision-making, systematic reviews, and knowledge bases.
- These databases serve as critical tools for research data identification and collection across various fields.
- Understanding platform variations is key for effective information retrieval and research design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare search result variations across multiple MEDLINE database platforms.
- To identify factors contributing to discrepancies in search outcomes.
- To provide insights for improving standardization and understanding platform differences.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a year-long longitudinal query analysis of the MEDLINE database.
- Utilized twenty-nine query cases with five semantically equivalent queries each.
- Searched five platforms: PubMed, EBSCOHost, Ovid, ProQuest, and Web of Science monthly.
- Collected and analyzed search result counts to observe changes.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in search results were observed across different MEDLINE platforms.
- Factors influencing variations include publication trends (e.g., online-first papers), metadata differences, and search field specificity.
- Database integrity, currency issues, and monthly fluctuations in results were also noted.
Conclusions:
- MEDLINE platform search results are not uniform, impacting information retrieval.
- Awareness of these platform-specific differences is vital for clinicians, researchers, and librarians.
- This study highlights the need for standardization to ensure reliable data access and utilization.
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