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Related Experiment Videos

Prime time versus nonprime time on MEDLINE.

A J Burdick

    Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
    |October 1, 1985
    PubMed
    Summary

    Searching the MEDLARS system during non-prime hours is more cost-effective. User variations impact search times, with non-prime time allowing longer searches before costs equalize prime time searches.

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    Area of Science:

    • Health Informatics
    • Medical Information Systems

    Background:

    • The MEDLARS (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System) is a crucial resource for medical information retrieval.
    • Understanding system usage patterns and their impact on search efficiency and cost is essential for optimizing resource allocation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze the variability in user numbers on the MEDLARS system during prime and non-prime hours.
    • To determine the effect of user load on search times.
    • To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of searching during different time periods.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of user activity logs for the MEDLARS system.
    • Calculation of search times based on varying user loads.
    • Development of 'added-time' formulas to compare costs across different time slots.

    Main Results:

    • User numbers on MEDLARS exhibited greater variation during non-prime hours compared to prime hours.
    • Variations in user numbers significantly influenced search times, with differences up to 19% from the mean observed between high and low usage periods.
    • Non-prime time searching demonstrated greater cost-effectiveness, allowing for extended search durations before incurring costs equivalent to prime time searches.

    Conclusions:

    • Non-prime time searching on the MEDLARS system is consistently more cost-effective.
    • The variability in user load during non-prime hours impacts search duration and cost efficiency.
    • Users can leverage non-prime hours for more extensive searches without increased cost.

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