{
  "schemaVersion": "1.0",
  "slug": "title-abstract-full-text-retrieval-ablation",
  "title": "Title, Abstract, or Full Text? A Retrieval-Field Ablation",
  "runDate": "2026-07-28",
  "executed": true,
  "sanitized": true,
  "question": "How much known relevant material becomes retrievable when a term index expands from titles to abstracts and then to full text?",
  "baseline": "Title-only retrieval cannot find a relevant record when its diagnostic term appears only in the abstract or body.",
  "protocol": [
    "Freeze eighty records with one diagnostic term placed in the title, abstract, body, or nowhere.",
    "Run exact-term retrieval over title, title plus abstract, and all three fields.",
    "Calculate recall against the sixty records whose term is present."
  ],
  "sample": {
    "records": 80,
    "relevant": 60
  },
  "results": {
    "titleRecall": 0.333,
    "titleAbstractRecall": 0.667,
    "fullTextRecall": 1
  },
  "negativeFindings": [
    "Adding full text did not recover the twenty controls whose diagnostic term was absent from every field."
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Exact unique terms eliminate synonymy, ranking competition, and semantic ambiguity found in real retrieval systems."
  ],
  "records": [
    {
      "recordId": "D01",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-1",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D02",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-2",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D03",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-3",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D04",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-4",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D05",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-5",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D06",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-6",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D07",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-7",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D08",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-8",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D09",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-9",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D10",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-10",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D11",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-11",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D12",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-12",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D13",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-13",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D14",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-14",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D15",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-15",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D16",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-16",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D17",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-17",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D18",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-18",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D19",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-19",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D20",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-20",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D21",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-21",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D22",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-22",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D23",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-23",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D24",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-24",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D25",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-25",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D26",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-26",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D27",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-27",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D28",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-28",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D29",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-29",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D30",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-30",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D31",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-31",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D32",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-32",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D33",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-33",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D34",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-34",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D35",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-35",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D36",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-36",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D37",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-37",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D38",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-38",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D39",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-39",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D40",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-40",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D41",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-41",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D42",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-42",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D43",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-43",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D44",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-44",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D45",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-45",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D46",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-46",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D47",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-47",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D48",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-48",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D49",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-49",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D50",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-50",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D51",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-51",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D52",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-52",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D53",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-53",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D54",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-54",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D55",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-55",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D56",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-56",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D57",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-57",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D58",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-58",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D59",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-59",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D60",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-60",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D61",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-61",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D62",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-62",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D63",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-63",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D64",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-64",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D65",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-65",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D66",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-66",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D67",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-67",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D68",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-68",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D69",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-69",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D70",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-70",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D71",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-71",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D72",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-72",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D73",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-73",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D74",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-74",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D75",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-75",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D76",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-76",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D77",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-77",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "title",
      "retrievedByTitle": true,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D78",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-78",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "abstract",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": true,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D79",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-79",
      "relevant": true,
      "termLocation": "body",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": true
    },
    {
      "recordId": "D80",
      "diagnosticTerm": "concept-80",
      "relevant": false,
      "termLocation": "absent",
      "retrievedByTitle": false,
      "retrievedByTitleAbstract": false,
      "retrievedByFullText": false
    }
  ]
}