Module 2 (Comparing Search Methods)

You used an electronic index, a guideline index, and a web search engine to retrieve information relevant to your clinical problem.  Compare and contrast your results. Which resources were useful/ not useful for your information retrieval task, and why? Identify some alternative strategies for retrieving relevant information - would context relevant information retrieval be useful?

Of the three search methods, I felt that the electronic index was the most helpful, then the web search engine, and finally the guideline index. The electronic index provided methods of refining my search that were invaluable and the search results were the most reliable. The web engine provided copious amounts of results, but not all were reliable or even relevant. There was not the capability, with the web engine, to refine my search as there was with the electronic index. I did not find the guideline index helpful in answering my clinical problem, because the index did not contain any guidelines related to my clinical problem. I could see that the site would be beneficial it there were guidelines related to a clinical problem of interest. The ability to compare related guidelines in a matrix format could be extremely helpful in evaluating guidelines.

      Other strategies for finding relevant information would be other electronic indexes, like CHINAL, the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge and the Cochrane database. These electronic indexes would act as another means of answering clinical questions or solving clinical problems. The use of electronic indexes in a means of utilizing evidence to promote best practices. Professional associates and disease-based organizations my also have website that would provide relevant information.