> I have just noticed a problem when exploding MeSH terms when searching
> Medline on Webspirs. Has anyone else has had a similar problem? Does
> anyone have any explanations, maybe we are making a mistake here?
>
> #1 explode 'Surgical-Procedures-Operative' / all subheadings in
> MIME,MJME 398,017 records
> #2 explode 'Digestive-System-Surgical-Procedures' / all subheadings
> in MIME,MJME 54,869 records
> #3 #1 and #2
> 51,370 records
> #4 explode 'Endocrine-Surgical-Procedures' / all subheadings in
> MIME,MJME 17,644 records
> #5 #1 and #4
> 16,601 records
>
> Both #2 and #4 are narrower terms of Surgical Procedures, Operative.
> I searched on databases from 1993 onwards, the problem does not appear
> to be specific to one disk i.e. I tried searching on the most recent
> disk 2001 up to October and searching without using this disk and came
> up with the same problem. There are no limits set on these searches.
>
> When I try this on PubMed or Ovid the same number of records are
> retrieved as expected. (i.e. combining Surgical Procedures, Operative
> with narrower terms produces the same number of records as searching
> on the narrower term alone.)
>
> Carlos Sharpin
> Library
> Royal College of Surgeons of England
> 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields
> London WC2A 3PE
> T: 020 7869 6550
> F: 020 7405 4438
> E: [log in to unmask]
>
|