Computerized literature searches: their advantages and limitations
1986
Pierce, B.E. (Adelaide Univ., Adelaide (Australia). Dept. of Zoology)
To obtain some measure of the effectiveness of computerized literature searches, relative coverage, overlap and cost were quantified for the ASFA and BIOSIS databases. Of the 7,800 baseline references in a bibliography on the carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) less than half were computer accessible . Although in recent years up to 85% of known publications were retrieved by the combined databases, the low overlap (14%-26%) between these two information systems meant that retrieval rates for either database rarely exceeded 50% of the pertinent articles published annually. The BIOSIS computer search required 15 minutes to perform, but 100 hours to replicate manually; thus, manual citation retrieval would have been economically justified at labor costs of less than US$7/hour. Citation errors, a considerable time-lag prior to database entry and little access to "grey" literature also reduced the value of these literature searches.
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