Medline and mesh: Challenges for end users

Through casual observations, formal consultations, and educational sessions, the aulhors have identified various indexing features of the National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) Ulat pose challenges to end users while attempting to obtain rclevant retrieval when searching MEDUNE. These problematic fcalurcs include lhc use of Explodes, Trcc slruclurcs, subheadings, Text Word vs. subject heading searching, and central concept searching. End-user search software is becoming more sophisticated with an increasing number of choices offered for search stratcgy fomalation. Methods of instruction to orient the end user to these syskms will also have to become more detailed. A review of the literature, that discusses end-user problems with using MEDLINE and McSH, is included.