CAMbase: A Database for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Author Information
Author(s): Thomas Ostermann, Hartmut Zillmann, Christa K Raak, Arndt Buessing, Peter F Matthiessen
Primary Institution: University of Witten/Herdecke
Hypothesis
The study aims to address the lack of comprehensive bibliographical resources for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).
Conclusion
CAMbase provides access to over 80,000 records on CAM, helping both researchers and patients find relevant information.
Supporting Evidence
- CAMbase covers over 80,000 bibliographical records from more than 30 journals.
- Between August 2003 and July 2006, 43,299 search queries were registered.
- Thematic searches were the most popular among users in the first year.
Takeaway
CAMbase is like a big library on alternative medicine where people can find information about different treatments and therapies.
Methodology
The study involved creating an XML-based database that integrates various sources of CAM literature and tracks user search queries.
Limitations
The database still faces challenges in indexing and vocabulary precision, which can affect search results.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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