Evaluating the results

It is vital at every stage of the search that the retrieved records are investigated for relevance. By doing this that the 

searcher can be sure they are finding the records they require. Criteria for evaluation should include: 

•  Numbers of records retrieved 

•  Position and frequency of the keywords used for the search (search terms are 

usually highlighted within retrieved records) 

•  Inclusion of homographs, unintended truncated words and other irrelevant 

results 

•  Additional relevant terms not included in the search strategy 

•  Types of document retrieved 

•  Any factors that may be limited in a future search (for example, date of 

publication, language) 

•  Checking for related terms and relevant indexing terms or descriptors 

•  Level of writing 

•  Overall relevance of the subject matter to the work being undertaken 

Use the information gleaned to modify and improve the search strategy. Evaluation can take two forms: 

1  Quick scanning to check that the results are what was expected 

2  Indepth evaluation to identify records that will be saved and later followed 

up to find the full text 

Quick scanning can be used when retrieving large numbers of records. The evaluation will move towards becoming more 

indepth as the search begins to focus on fewer, more relevant records. 

The amount of records that constitute a 'manageable number' is a personal preference. 

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