Usage patterns of an online search system.
This article examines the usage patterns of the ELHILL retrieval program of the National Library of Medicine's MEDLARS system. Based on a sample of 6759 searches, the study analyzes the frequency of various commands and command options, classifies messages issued by the system, and investigates searcher error rates. The article concludes with suggestions for improving and redesigning both the program and query language.
D008523:MEDLARS / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009317:National Library of Medicine (U.S.); D014481:United States