Online information retrieval in pharmacy and related fields.

Online information retrieval in pharmacy and related fields is described. Factors involved in determining whether to conduct an online search are discussed, including characteristics of appropriate and less suitable topics, advantages and limitations of online searching versus manual searching, and possible types of searches. The process of preparing for an online search, involving the determination of search vocabulary, relevant citations, important authors, time frame, special categories (such as language, publication type, and reviews), and the number of citations needed, as well as choosing a database, is explained. Sample search strategies on MEDLINE and IPA are illustrated to demonstrate the basic search commands and to compare file retrievals on the sample subject. Pharmacy-related bibliographic databases, general-interest databases, end-user search services, and full-text and numeric databases are profiled. Online database searching can be a cost-efficient and flexible alternative to manual literature searching for pharmacists. Although most online searching is currently conducted by librarian-search specialists, end-user searching is a growing trend, as is the availability of full-text databases.