Information retrieval (IR) is a broad area of computer science focused primarily on providing the users with easy access to information of their interest. On the basis of referring to many published medical information retrieval(MIR) textbooks in China, this textbook focuses on basic, practical, systematic, novel, popular knowledge and the cultivation of students' information literacy. Authors strive to make the contents of the textbook keep pace with the times; they incorporate the latest retrieval theory, retrieval scope and content, retrieval technology tools and research results into the book as much as possible and present them to the readers.

The whole book is divided into twelve chapters.

Chapter one is an overview of information literacy.

From the second chapter to the fourth chapter, it introduces the overview of information literacy cultivation, information resources and information retrieval. The fifth chapter mainly introduces Chinese information retrieval tools, while the sixth chapter introduces English information retrieval tools.

From Chapter seven to Chapter eight, it mainly discusses the network medical resources and patent literature retrieval.

Chapter nine is about information service organization and service mode.

From Chapter ten to Chapter twelve, it deals with medical information analysis and medical research topic selection, medical information investigation and medical papers writing, respectively. The content system of the book is scientific, reasonable, comprehensive and consistent.