Each time you search an access tool, whether it is print or electronic, you need to analyze your results for relevance and usefulness to your project.

There are two aspects to evaluating your search results:

• Number of items: The total number of items retrieved by the search statement
• Relevance: The appropriateness of the items retrieved to your information needs.

Once you are familiar with the process you will do both aspects of evaluation simultaneously.

The evaluation process begins and ends with evaluating the number of records.

• The first step is to evaluate of the number of items your initial search retrieves.
• The last step is to decide that you have a sufficient number of relevant items.
• In between is a series of evaluations based on the number of items retrieved and the percentage of those items that are relevant.