Rate of Agreement between Database Users’ and Authors’ Keywords in SID and Magiran Databases and Its Effect on Information Retrieval

Abstract

Aim: This study examined the rate of correspondence between users’ keywords and Latin authors published in SID and Magiran databases and its effect on information retrieval. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on PhD students and residents, in which Latin shared articles indexed in database of SID and Magiran were selected by random sampling method. The abstracts of these articles were provided to each student, in order to determine the keyword for each of them. Data collection was per-formed by a checklist. Data analysis was performed by non-parametric and -parametric statistical analysis. Data was analyzed by SPSS 22. Results: The results showed 29.9 percent of the keywords were non-match, with the highest frequency of three keywords and 39.9 percent were the exact match, with the highest frequency of one keyword. There was a significant difference between the two databases, SID and Magiran in retrieving relevant results (P < 0.011). Conclusion: Because of the loss of relevant articles on one hand and retrieving irrelevant articles on the other and also the importance of retrieving the right information, appropriate policies should be developed for indexing and using controlled language in these databases.