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Table 3 Examples of rephrased questions. Minor modifications of some questions increased retrievals of exact matches of cited references. aPOEMs, bCATs

From: ask MEDLINE: a free-text, natural language query tool for MEDLINE/PubMed

Original question

Result before rephrasing question (Citation match/total retrieved)

Rephrased question

Result after rephrasing question (Citation match/total retrieved)

aWhat is the risk that any given mole will become a melanoma?

0/31

What is the risk of any given mole transforming into a melanoma?

1/50

aAre ear temperatures reliable?

0/511

Is measurement of ear temperature reliable?

6/23

bIn children with an acute febrile illness, what is the efficacy of single-medication therapy with acetaminophen or ibuprofen compared with combination therapy combining the two medications in reducing fever while avoiding adverse effects?

0/0

In children with fever, is acetaminophen or ibuprofen alone better than combined, while avoiding adverse effects?

8/25

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BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

ISSN: 1472-6947

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