Full text database retrieval performance

Abstract

Complete texts of many journals are now available for online searching. Most of these full text databases have been made available on the same or similar search systems that provide access to bibliographic information. The systems use inverted files that retain limited context information (e.g., paragraphs and location of words within paragraphs). The retrieval techniques used are simply those that were developed earlier for bibliographic databases. Retrieval relies on Boolean logic, word stem searching with truncation, and word proximity specification. Minor adjustments have been made for the display of full text databases, allowing words resulting in retrieval to be displayed in context; but changes have not been made in retrieval techniques. This is due to the reliance on search systems that provide access to many types of databases, all of which are by‐products of improved techniques for creating printed publications.