Information Seeking Skills in Online Databases of Iranian National Medical Digital Library: A Study among Residents of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran*

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammadreza Hashemian 1
Mohammad Janatikia 2
Alireza Hashemian 3
1 Medical Library and Information Sciences, Central Library, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran (Corresponding Author) Email: hashemian553@yahoo.com
2 Library and Information Sciences, School of Health Management and Medical Informatics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
3 MSc Student, Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Management and Medical Information, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Information seeking skills has an important role in independent searching and enables one
to have a strong research. The aim of this study was to investigate information seeking skills among the
residents of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Methods: It was a descriptive study. Morgan sampling table used to select 248 residents from 659
residents of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The data were collected using a researcher-made
questionnaire which was validated by expert and its reliability was tested with Cronbach’s alpha (0.83).
Results: Only 3.9% of the residents attended in Iranian National Medical Digital Library (INLM)
workshop and only 16.2% of them were registered to INLM. 38.3% of them were familiar with up-to-date
database and 25.8% of them used it. 48.4% of them used "advanced search". 49.2% of them used "bullion
operations" and only 13.3% of them were familiar with databases’ facilities to manage their search results.
Only 5.5% of them always evaluated the retrieved information.
Conclusion: Information seeking skills of residents was very low. Attending in workshops on database
and information literacy can help them to improve their skills and have better research.
Keywords
Information Retrieval
Databases
Internship and Residency
Universities
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Health Information Management
Volume 10, Issue 1
Spring 2014
Pages 101-108