MEDLINE demand profiles: an analysis of requests for clinical and research information

Abstract

When a medical library serves both research scientists and practicing physicians, it may be predicted from the results of previous studies that computerized bibliographic search services will show more research and less clinical activity. The present paper reports the results of a statistical analysis of professional use of the National Library of Medicine's bibliographic retrieval system. MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System on-Line), at a large medical school library. Results indicate that (1) demand for MEDLINE service is primarily research oriented; (2) frequency of use bears a relationship to rank and departmental affiliation; (3) broad and comprehensive searches are requested more frequently than searches for specific information; (4) usage shows an interesting curvilinear relationship with age and status of the user; and (5) grant funds and support correlate with the number of searches requested. Implication of these findings are that since clinicians' use of MEDLINE was found to be minimal, information services should be reevaluated in order to assist in meeting their information needs more effectively.