Examining Biological Abstracts on Two Platforms: What Do End Users Need to Know?

The information retrieval systems of Biological Abstracts on SilverPlatter and EBSCOhost were evaluated to determine the levels of sophistication and search expertise required by end users to locate information efficiently. Novice, expert, and natural language queries were used and the search results were compared and analyzed to determine what factors end users need to consider for comprehensive information retrieval while searching Biological Abstracts. It was evident from the search results that effective information retrieval using Biological Abstracts on two vendors' platforms largely depended on users' search skills, their knowledge of the information retrieval systems and the search mechanisms they support. The article is an indicator of the criteria that should be taken into account by the librarians and other information professionals in evaluating databases to make the best choices for their institutions and users. It also confirms the need to train the end users who search databases and other digital resources remotely and without any intermediaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]