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BIBLIOGRAPHIC ASPECTS OF MEDLARS.

When MEDLARS becomes operational in 1964, it should provide the resources for a comprehensive, integrated bibliographical publication and retrieval system. The publications Index Medicus and Cumulated Index Medicus will be modified in format, arrangement, and method of preparation; other published bibliographies will also be affected by the new system. This paper describes the characteristics of both the publication and retrieval phases of MEDLARS.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

The way of the innovator: notes toward a prehistory of MEDLARS.

The concept of MEDLARS as a publication/retrieval system was the product of several forces operating during the fifteen years prior to 1961. These included the overriding imperative of medical index publication, the Welch Medical Indexing Research Project, a drive to master the theory of medical subject headings, the innovative impact of coordinate indexing, and the confidence produced by the success of the Index Mechanization Project. By virtue of this experience, MEDLARS became a prime example of a well-understood enterprise seeking a computer application, a circumstance which augured of its success.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

The MEDLARS demand search quality control program.

A Quality Control Unit was established at the National Library of Medicine to provide preventive quality control on a continuing basis for MEDLARS. This unit provided analyses of retrievals and made recommendations for improvements based upon these analyses. For the period January 1969 to June 1970, 21,000 MEDLARS searches were released in the United States. Appraisals were returned by 24.4% of the users. They reported that 55% of the citations retrieved were relevant and that 47% of the citations were new to them; 70.6% of the users reported recall of 50% or higher.

Information Systems↗

Multi-media orientation and education programs for MEDLARS used the the Medical Information Center (MIC), Stockholm.

The Mediatron is a modified stereo-tape recorder which is designed to carry out simultaneous recording of audio-commentaries, trigger pulses for photographic slides, and digital signals from a computerized information-retrieval system. Two MEDLARS programs were produced: an orientation program and a self-instructional package. Technical procedures and experiences are briefly discussed.

Humans↗

MEDLEARN: a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program for MEDLARS.

*MEDLEARN*, a second-generation computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program available (nationally) since October 1976, provides on-line training for MEDLINE, one of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) data base. *MEDLEARN* was developed as a joint effort between NLM and The George Washington University Medical Center. Using MEDLINE formats throughout, *MEDLEARN* combines tutorial dialogue, drill and practice, testing, and simulation. The program was designed in three tracks oriented to basic methods, advanced techniques, and new developments. Each topic is presented on two levels, permitting an alternate explanation for users encountering difficulty. *MEDLEARN*, coded in the computer language PILOT, was developed with a modular structure which promotes ease of writing and revision. A versatile control structure maximizes student control. Frequent interactions check immediate recall, general comprehension, and integration of knowledge. Two MEDLINE simulations are included, providing the student an opportunity to formulate and execute a search, have it evaluated, and then perform the search in MEDLINE. Commenting, news broadcasting, and monitoring (with permission only) capabilities are also available. Subjective field appraisals have been positive and NLM plans to expand *MEDLEARN* and produce similar programs for other data bases.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

The National Library of Medicine: from MEDLARS to the sesquicentennial and beyond.

The two decades since the introduction of MEDLARS and the passage of the Medical Library Assistance Act have been especially eventful in the history of the National Library of Medicine. The library's collections and services have grown to keep pace with the expanding health sciences literature and the needs of health professionals. Networking has emerged as an invaluable method for disseminating biomedical information. NLM has assumed new responsibilities for information services in toxicology, pharmacology, and environmental health, and for research and development in biomedical communications. Research now being carried out by NLM has the potential for enhancing the library's archival programs and for improving information dissemination in support of health sciences research, education, and practice.

Forecasting↗

Searching the MEDLARS file on NLM and BRS a comparative study.

A comparison of the MEDLARS data base as it is currently available from the National Library of Medicine and Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS), Inc., is presented in chart format, and some major capability differences between the two systems are highlighted. The information inlcuded justifies the dual availability of the data base in health sciences libraries. This paper is intended for searchers and others familiar with one or both systems. Administrators considering the acquisition of the BRS system may find the study useful.

MEDLARS↗

Improving the MEDLARS search interview: a checklist approach.

An analogy is drawn between searching a computer data base and conducting laboratory research: the crucial process in both is phrasing the question to the system to obtain meaningful and useful results. The searcher must act as an intermediary for the library user in questioning the data base; for this reason every effort must be made to maximize the efficiency with which a query is transferred from requester to searcher. Studies reported in the literature tend to distribute themselves into one of two categories: flowchart analyses or nonverbal communication approaches. Because message transfer in an interview is an entirely human process, the flowchart approach, while perhaps providing a correct analysis, is rejected as a means of improvement. Similarly, emphasis on nonverbal cues and communication inhibitors is assessed as misplaced. Rather, the method recommended is guided practice, using a checklist of areas to be covered in an interview for a MEDLARS search. Topic appropriateness, form design, and postsearch follow-through are included in the discussion.

MEDLARS↗

An evaluation of MEDLARS output: demand and recurring bibliographies.

The cooperation between the National Library of Medicine and various agencies of government and professional societies is producing a number of useful tools in the recurring bibliographies. Because the MEDLARS system is still in a state of flux, the demand bibliographies are slow in reaching the patron, but the results have been satisfactory.

Bibliographies as Topic↗

MEDLARS operating experience at the University of Colorado.

For a six-month period in 1965 the University of Colorado Medical Center Library conducted a demonstration project in which MEDLARS tapes received from the National Library of Medicine were searched on a Honeywell 800 computer located in Denver. Eighty-seven search requests were received from members of the UCMC staff during this period and successfully run. The average relevance and recall ratios were each in the neighborhood of 80 percent. Cost figures are given; it is calculated that an average search through two years' tapes costs about $200. The concept of the "search-month" is introduced, and it is shown that the average machine time per search-month will vary from 0.67 to 2 minutes. It is concluded that the technical and economic feasibility of decentralized search centers using a centrally prepared input has been demonstrated. Data are presented on the basis of which the performance of the system may be judged.

Colorado↗