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In this research, we have been investigating how to improve web interfaces for accessing and searching biomedical and clinical data repositories. In particular, we have been focusing our efforts on improving interfaces to access semi-structured information related to clinical trials. A semi-structured resource consists of free text or data partially annotated with some specific keywords or metadata from a controlled terminology.

In our investigations with clinical researchers, we have noted that current searching and browsing tools do not sufficiently aid a user in the complex process of seeking useful information (query specification, browsing results, understanding and summarizing results) from a digital collection of documents. Most often, a user starts with a vague idea of how to find useful information and formulates an initial query that is, in most cases, refined as he or she better understands the information domain. Typically, results appear as a large, text-based, list that may have some structured information in each individual result.

Our tool, called CTSearch, is an implementation of TagSync which combines multiple synchronized tag clouds to improve the refinement of queries and the comparison of results. CTSearch uses a sample of trials from ClinicalTrials.gov a leading repository for clinical trials.

Participants:

• Maria-Elena Hernandez, PhD Candidate, University of Victoria
• Sean Falconer, PhD Candidate, University of Victoria
• Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey, University of Victoria
• Dr. Ida Sim, University of California at San Francisco
• Simona Carini, University of California at San Francisco

This work is part of our collaboration with the National Center for Biomedical Ontology and The Trial Bank Project.