Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

General: Effectiveness of Combining Title Words and Index Terms in Machine Retrieval Searches

Nature volume 238, pages 109–110 (1972)Cite this article

Abstract

To determine the most effective method for searching the bibliographic data bases1 available on magnetic tape, we have compared the differences in the citations retrieved when we searched on title words alone, on index terms alone, assigned from a controlled vocabulary by(presumably) knowledgeable indexers, and on both the title words and the index terms simultaneously. Previous studies2–5 have been mainly concerned with a comparison of machine retrieval and manual searches.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Carroll, K. D., Survey of Scientific-Technical Tape Services, AIP ID 70, ASIS SIG/SDI 2(1970).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Abbot, M. T. J., Hunter, P. S., and Simkins, M. A., ASLIB Proc., 20, 129 (1968).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Lancaster, F. W., Amer. Doc., 20, 119 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Angstadt, H. P., J. Chem. Doc., 10, 277 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lynch, J. T., and Smith, G. D. W., Nature, 230, 153 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hampel, V. E., and Wade, J. A., Proc. Amer. Soc. Inform. Sci., 6, 159 (32nd Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 1969).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Euratom Thesaurus, as revised by the US Atomic Energy Commission, TID-25439 (1970).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, California, 94550

    H. LEONARD FISHER & DENNIS R. ELCHESEN

Authors
  1. H. LEONARD FISHER
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. DENNIS R. ELCHESEN
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

FISHER, H., ELCHESEN, D. General: Effectiveness of Combining Title Words and Index Terms in Machine Retrieval Searches. Nature 238, 109–110 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/238109a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/238109a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing