Image retrieval behavior of medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Information Science
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Effective image retrieval system design necessitates understanding user behavior and resource interaction.
• Identifying the image retrieval behaviors of medical students is crucial for optimizing these systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and characterize the image retrieval behaviors of medical students.
• To inform the design of better image retrieval systems tailored to medical education needs.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive-survey research method was employed.
• Data were collected from 265 fourth and fifth-year medical students using a researcher-made questionnaire.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

Main Results:

• The primary use of images among medical students is for class presentations and scientific reporting (78.1%).
• Video format is the most frequently searched image type (73.6%).
• General search engines are the most common source (76.2%), with limited use of librarians (3.8%) and low awareness of specialized databases like Springer (30.6%).

Conclusions:

• Image-seeking behaviors are influenced by individual, social, and contextual factors.
• Enhancing technical search skills and promoting awareness of reliable resources are vital for medical students.
• Educational centers should focus on improving access to up-to-date and trustworthy visual information.