title: Comparing Web search engine performance in searching consumer health information: evaluation and recommendations.
abstract: Identifying and accessing reliable, relevant consumer health information rapidly on the Internet may challenge the health sciences librarian and layperson alike. In this study, seven search engines are compared using representative consumer health topics for their content relevancy, system features, and attributes. The paper discusses evaluation criteria; systematically compares relevant results; analyzes performance in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the search engines; and illustrates effective search engine selection, search formulation, and strategies.
authors.affiliation: Shiffman Medical Library, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D020407:Internet