Information Sources in Biomedicine: From the simple Meta-Search to the customized PubMed

Abstract

The need for scientific update encourages health professionals
(HP) to use the Internet more and more often. However, the vast
number of information sources available in Biomedicine, raises
the problem of selecting and questioning the appropriate sites.
In this article, we aim to identify and orientate the internet user
in the choice of accurate sites, motivating the user to carry out
their own searches using simple and concise tips. Starting with a
broader search using Meta-Search, we orient HP to a consecutive
use of segmentation filters to eliminate the “noise” of irrelevant
information. We highlight Medline using the PubMed interface,
giving examples of the consistency and precision of the results
when the controlled language of Medical Subject Heading is
used. Amongst the various examples given, the use of My NCBI
to customize PubMed is emphasized, in order to save and store
searches that can be run over periodically.
The suggestions presented emphasise the necessary skills
needed to perform a successful search to help the user to find
more and better knowledge.