Leila Nemati-Anaraki; Mohammadreza Alibeyk; Raziyeh Zeinali
Abstract
Introduction: Seeng as web has become an important source of information and search vehicle to retrieve information on the web, it is important to identify the capabilities and limitations of these tools. this study endeavored to compare the performance of search engines and specialized medical databases ...
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Introduction: Seeng as web has become an important source of information and search vehicle to retrieve information on the web, it is important to identify the capabilities and limitations of these tools. this study endeavored to compare the performance of search engines and specialized medical databases based on four categories of search criteria, display, navigation and user-friendliness in the field of recovery of common cancers.Methods: To conduct this descriptive study, the comparison was madebased on the data collected and their content description, the performance of search engines and specialized medical databases in the recovery of common cancers was compared. Five free and controlled keywords for common cancers were selected from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and were searched in five specialized medical search engines as well as three specialized medical databases. To evaluate the performance of search engines and specialized medical databases, a researcher-made checklist was employed and data were described through descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, & average) and Excel software.Results: In terms of search engine and database performance as well as search and display criteria, the Trip database search engine and PubMed-Embase database scored the highest. As to Trip database and WebMD search engines and navigation criteria Embase database scored the highest. In terms of the search criteria Medlineplus search engine and Embase database scored the highest.Conclusion: According to the results of the study, the performance of search engines and specialized medical databases in recovering common cancers was different based on different criteria and users can use them according to their needs.
