Automated assistance in the formulation of search statements for bibliographic databases

We report on the design and construction of features of an automated query system which will assist pharmacologists who are not information specialists to access the Derwent Drug File (DDF) pharmacological database. Our approach was to first elucidate those search skills of the search intermediary w...

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Veröffentlicht in:Information processing & management Jg. 34; H. 6; S. 645 - 668
Hauptverfasser: Oakes, Michael P, Taylor, Malcolm J
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.11.1998
Elsevier Science
Schlagworte:
Bibliographic Databases
Browsing
Computer System Design
Computerized intermediaries
Derwent Drug File
Ergonomic aspects
Evaluation Methods
Exact sciences and technology
Information and communication sciences
Information processing and retrieval
Information retrieval. Man machine relationship
Information science. Documentation
Knowledge Representation
Natural Language
Online databases
Pharmacology
Query Formulations
Query Processing
Sciences and techniques of general use
Search Intermediaries
Search Strategies
Searching
Subject Index Terms
Thesauri
User Needs (Information)
Vocabulary
World Wide Web
Performance evaluation
Query formulation
Vocabulary
User
Information retrieval
Knowledge base
Pharmacology
Bibliographic data
Information browsing
Reformulation
Database
Automatic system
User assistance
Intelligent system
ISSN:0306-4573, 1873-5371
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Zusammenfassung:We report on the design and construction of features of an automated query system which will assist pharmacologists who are not information specialists to access the Derwent Drug File (DDF) pharmacological database. Our approach was to first elucidate those search skills of the search intermediary which might prove tractable to automation. Modules were then produced which assist in the three important subtasks of search statement generation, namely vocabulary selection, the choice of context indicators and query reformulation. Vocabulary selection is facilitated by approximate string matching, morphological analysis, browsing and menu searching. The context of the study, such as treatment or metabolism, is determined using a system of advisory menus. The task of query reformulation is performed using user feedback on retrieved documents, thesaurus relations between document index terms and term postings data. Use is made of diverse information sources, including electronic forms of printed search aids, a thesaurus and a medical dictionary. The system will be of use both to semicasual users and experienced intermediaries. Many of the ideas developed should prove transportable to domains other than pharmacology: the techniques for thesaurus manipulation are designed for use with any hierarchical thesaurus.
Bibliographie:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
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ISSN:0306-4573
1873-5371
DOI:10.1016/S0306-4573(98)00029-6