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SUNY Upstate
Medical University
LIBRARY SYNAPSE
Vol. 3, Nos. 3 & 4 (double issue)
Summer & Fall 1997 |
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PubMed: MEDLINE on the Web from NLM
Although other versions of MEDLINE have appeared on the WWW, the recently released PubMed offers a number of unique features that should appeal to researchers. It was developed as an experimental project by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
To try PubMed, go to: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.
Alternatively, go to the HSC Library Home Page, select MEDLINE on the Web, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Link to Free Searching at NCBI." Some highlights of the PubMed database are:
PreMedline for Timely Coverage
PubMed includes PreMedline, a very current, preliminary database of articles that have not yet been fully indexed and incorporated into MEDLINE. For example, as of September 8, 1997, PreMedline, which is updated daily, contained citations from the September 5, 1997, issue of Journal of Biological Chemistry," while MEDLINE (OvidWeb version) covered only through the August 1 issue.
Articles not in MEDLINE
Some articles that are available in PubMed will never appear in MEDLINE or PreMedline. This happens because certain journals, such as Science or Nature, are only selectively indexed by MEDLINE; articles that are considered out of scope of the biomedical literature are not included.
Related Documents or "Neighbors"
Every retrieved article in PubMed displays a "Related Articles" button, which links directly to similar articles. If you find a few documents that are extremely relevant, using this feature will find additional documents, ranked in order from most to least relevant, without having to revise your search strategy.
Links to Full Text
PubMed was developed in conjunction with publishers of biomedical literature. If a participating publisher has a Web site that offers full text of its journals, PubMed provides links to that site. Some journals require that you register, subscribe, or pay a fee in order to view the full text of an article. PubMed also provides a gateway to molecular biology resources at NCBI, such as the GenBank Sequence Database.
Clinical Queries Filter
In an effort to identify sound clinical studies, this built-in search filter limits retrieval to articles which meet basic criteria for scientific merit, based on the research methodology used. Four categories of studies -- etiology,
diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis -- are offered, and details about the filtering process are available online.
Journal Browser
This very convenient feature allows you to look up the official MEDLINE abbreviation for any journal name if you know either the full title or even just a few keywords in the title. Also offered here is the updated list of WWW full text journals to which PubMed is currently linked; new journals are regularly added.
In summary, PubMed offers both basic and advanced searching, truncation, limits by date, use of Boolean operators, and formats compatible with Reference Manager and other bibliographic management software. But some of the fine tuning functions that experienced MEDLINE searchers take for granted are lost with PubMed. These involve the manipulation of subheadings, the display of broader and narrower terms, the option to use the “explode” feature, the wide variety of limits, and the ability to use certain shortcut commands. On the whole, however, PubMed offers many innovative and worthwhile features which recommend it to both researcher and clinician. For individuals who do not have Internet access via the HSC, PubMed is a good alternative to OvidWeb, and is likely to be more reliable and current than MEDLINE services maintained by drug companies or other commercial sponsors.
Diane K. Hawkins
Reference Services
Le Moyne Sociologist Presents Second Library Lecture
The Second Health Sciences Library Lecture was presented on May 9 in Room 318 in conjunction with the Health Science Center's annual celebration of National Hospital Week. Janet Carlisle Bogdan, Professor of Sociology at Le Moyne College, offered a slide show, lecture, and discussion about "Childbirth in Hospitals: A History of 'Why?'"
The presence in the audience of such outpoken home-birth advocates as direct-entry midwife Roberta Devers-Scott <http://www.goodnewsnet.org/> and Joel Potash, M.D.,
ensured that the discussion was very lively.
The Third Health Sciences Library Lecture will be held in Spring 1998 and will feature the internationally renowned psychiatrist and author, Thomas S. Szasz, M.D.
Three-Way Distance Learning Teleconference Held at Library
The Health Sciences Library co-hosted a full-day, three-site distance learning teleconference on April 25, 1997, in Room 318, the Library's hi-tech conference center. The topic was "Health Sciences Distance Education: Models for Successful Collaboration." Complete "follow-me-follow-you" video/audio links connected real-time participants at SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Binghamton. In addition to the libraries at the three SUNY campuses, sponsors of this technology awareness forum were the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) Middle Atlantic Region, the Friends of the National Library of Medicine
(NLM), and Merck and Company.
Lester D. Friedman, Ph.D., Professor of English and Humanities at the Health Science Center and Faculty Co-ordinator of Distance Learning, gave the keynote address, "An Academic's Adventure in Technologyland: Promises and Pitfalls of Distance Learning."
Les Friedman speaks at the distance learning teleconference. At his left is one of the monitors for the three-site video connection, showing participants in Binghamton.
Dr. Friedman's talk was followed by a question and answer period and then two panel discussions and three technology demonstrations featuring:
- Kenneth L. Barker, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, SUNY HSC Syracuse.
- Hugh W. Bonner, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Health Professions, SUNY HSC Syracuse.
- Joseph C. Smith, M.S., Director of Educational Communications, SUNY HSC Syracuse, who described the capabilities of the distance learning classroom in the Health Sciences Library.
- Frank C. Smith, M.D., Pediatric Cardiologist, SUNY HSC Syracuse, who described the use of distance education in clinical medicine.
- Nancy Schiller, M.L.S., Librarian, Science & Engineering Library, SUNY Buffalo.
- Meredeth Rowe, R.N., Ph.D., Decker School of Nursing, SUNY Binghamton, who described her use of PowerPoint presentation software in a pharmacology distance learning course broadcast from Binghamton for HSC College of Nursing
students in Syracuse.
Two Librarians Honored at Fall Faculty Convocation
Rosemarie P. Bundy, M.L.S., Reference Librarian and Head of Collection Development, received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship.
Eric v.d. Luft, Ph.D., M.L.S., Curator of Historical Collections, received the Health Science Center President's Award for Excellence in Library Science.
Recently Added Historical Treasure
In 1756 in a book called Observations pratiques sur les maladies de l'urethre et sur plusiers faits convulsifs ... the French physician Nicolas André coined the term "tic douloureux." The term is a misnomer, since the condition of trigeminal neuralgia does not involve movement. Nevertheless André's term stuck. André's inaccurate description was superseded by the more empirical work of John Fothergill, "Of a Painful Affection of the Face," published in 1773.
While copies of Fothergill's article are fairly common, copies of André's book are extremely scarce. A copy exists at the Wellcome Institute in London, but there is none at either the National Library of Medicine or the New York Academy of Medicine. The only known copies in American libraries are at Duke, Johns Hopkins, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, and now, through the generosity of Arthur D. Ecker, M.D., also at the SUNY Health Science Center.
HSC Poster Wins 1st Prize at MLA
Pat Onsi with the prizewinning poster.
At the annual meeting of the Medical Library Association in Seattle in May, Peter A. Uva, Head of Access Services, and Patricia W. Onsi, Interim Director, won the "Best Print Poster" award for their entry entitled "A Building for the
21st Century: The New Health Sciences Library -- The State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse."
Health Reference Center - Academic Now Available on Library Home Page
The Health Reference Center - Academic on InfoTrac SearchBank is a multi-source database which covers all aspects of health, medicine, fitness, nutrition, and related topics. This database provides access to full text and images in some of the most respected nursing and allied health journals, consumer health magazines, newsletters, pamphlets, newspaper articles, topical overviews, and reference books.
Some special features of the Health Reference Center - Academic include the following:
- Full text from 500 current pamphlets and 1800 topical overviews.
- Abstracts from a selected list of professional journals.
- Full text health-related articles from more than 3000 magazines and newspapers.
- Full text information from the latest editions of six reference books including:
- The Complete Directory for People with Chronic Illness.
- The People's Books of Medical Tests.
- The Columbia University Complete Home Medical Guide.
- USP-DI Volume II: Advice for Patient, Drug Information in Lay Language
- Full text from 40+ academic nursing and allied health journals, including four back years plus the current year. Over 20 of these titles are new to the Health Sciences Library holdings.
Access to the Health Reference Center for HSC personnel is available either by logging on to the Library's home page <http://www.upstate.edu/library/> and clicking on the Health Reference Center or by using the URL <http://www.searchbank.com/searchbank/hscsyr>. No username or password is required. Use of InfoTrac is restricted to students, faculty, and staff of the Health Science Center, therefore it is available only from the HSC.edu (139.127.xxx.xxx) domain. If you attempt to connect from a computer outside of our domain (e.g., a commercial vendor) you will be rejected. You can contact the IMT help desk (464-4115) to secure off campus access to our domain number.
The Health Reference Center interface includes all graphics, photographs, and tables as they appear in print. Articles can be selected and printed from your browser or e-mailed or saved directly to your hard drive for later printing.
For further information, please call the Reference Department at 464-4581.
Peter A. Uva
Head of Access Services
New Projection System in Classroom
Anyone who wishes to see or be trained to use the new ceiling-mounted projection system in the Library's microcomputer classroom, Room 220, please contact either George Paul of EdComm, 464-5780, e-mail: paulg, or Diane Hawkins, 464-7114, e-mail: hawkinsd.
Weaving the Web
Search engines, which are software utilities especially designed to find information, are used to search the World Wide Web. Mastering at least one will save time, lower your stress level, and avoid being "wiped out" by a tidal wave of results. Additionally, their competitiveness, possibly due to major corporate sponsorships, has resulted in added enhancements such as ranking of results, better online user aids, faster response, and the capability to search out various media: video, audio, and images.
Estimates indicate there are more than 100 search engines from which to choose. Some of the more popular ones are:
- Alta Vista <http://www.altavista.digital.com>: Rated #1 for its quickness, its ability to search for images, the vast number of sites it covers, and its capability to execute extremely complex searches. A study on "Best Search Engines for Finding Scientific Information on the Web" chose Alta Vista.
- Excite <http://www.excite.com>: Just formed a partnership with America Online (AOL). For general purpose searching. Highlights the top most important sentences in the documents. Can be viewed by confidence level or by Web site. Has a handbook that explains the site, software, and how best to use it.
- HotBot <http://www.hotbot.com>: One of the easier engines to master, especially for the beginner. To look for a person or an exact phrase this is my first choice. It is fast! Has a huge number of full-text indexed pages and a sophisticated interface. Ranks by relevancy.
- Infoseek <http://www.infoseek.com>: Uses the Ultraseek power engine which is quick. Capable of searching images. Gives a numerical score based on frequency and comparison to words in the database. Now permits free searching of extensive databases such as those for stock quotes and company information. A strong point is that you are to able see similar pages based on topic information. Most articles discuss how it has improved.
- Yahoo <http://www.yahoo.com>: Considered the best directory by providing a solid menu of categories (e.g., sports, entertainment, health) from which to start a search. Yahoo is an attempt to organize and catalogue the Web. Gives you the option of automatically feeding your query into other major search engines. Good for
recreational searching as well as for business/company information.
Software that utilizes multiple search engines to locate information include:
These work well when the search is simple, i.e., one or two words. If the search is complex, the results are not necessarily accurate due to the different searching protocols and algorithms used by each engine.
Just when you think the market is saturated, a new search engine appears on the horizon: Northern Light <http://www.nlsearch.com>. Northern Light is touting itself as the answer to the problem of high volume/low relevancy which has plagued the Web and those who use it. It enables you to search the WWW and information from over 1800 premium sources which include magazines, books, databases, and newswires. The engine classifies the search results and then organizes the most relevant matches into folders that help narrow your search. Presently there is no advertising attached to the search engine, but there is a catch. Although searching is free, to view the "special collection" there is a $1.00 charge (pay per view). Unlike other search engines which allow the user to view only a certain number of the total hits, Northern Light provides access to every site, document, etc., that is retrieved.
The question, "Which one should I use?" is best answered by trying them out. Alta Vista, Excite, and Infoseek are all highly rated. Experiment with different search engines and decide which provides the best results based on academic discipline and areas of personal interest. I usually start out with HotBot which is a little more straightforward and great for simple searches. It provides a menu of choices to search by phrase, person, or any or all of the words.
For searches which include truncation of words, multiple synonyms, and where proximity of terms is important, many turn to AltaVista, including myself. AltaVista has an excellent help feature which you will need to review before doing an advanced search. My best advice is show no loyalty. Each engine covers unique Web sites, so use as many as you can.
Most search engines have a help feature and there are many Web sites that provide tips and cheat sheets on searching these engines, e.g.:
Cheat sheets explain and give examples of how to utilize the advanced search features of search engines such as AltaVista, Yahoo, and Infoseek, to name a few. You may want to print this out to use as a quick reference.
Some will take their "surf" engines and dive right into the banzai pipeline. For those who may approach the Web more gingerly, the following suggestions may be helpful in getting started:
- Choose a search engine and start exploring. If you have forgotten this sheet, click on the net search button with your mouse and pick one from the list provided.
- After executing a couple of simple searches, move on to the advanced searching options. Check the cheat sheet and enter terms or phrases in your discipline, or surf for fun.
- Define and refine your search queries.
- The Web does not have a defined vocabulary. Use synonyms when appropriate and variations in spelling, e.g., "E-mail," "e-mail," "email," "analyze," "analyse."
- Develop a good search strategy.
- Know how to broaden and narrow the search using the "and," "or," "not," and proximity operators; e.g., "near."
- Look under the help icon of the search engine you are using to determine which operators are used and if a truncation function is present. These can be asterisks (*), dollar signs ($), or question marks (?). Truncation broadens the search by retrieving variations, e.g., "bird*" will retrieve "bird," "birds," "birding," "birders," etc.
- Most engines use some type of algorithm to list the retrieval ranked by relevancy. If the first 20 sites retrieved are not relevant to your query, refine the search and/or try a different engine.
- If your retrieval is overwhelming, try using those search engines that offer the option of narrowing your search by searching only those sites which have been reviewed and evaluated by rating services.
- If the site you have chosen appears to have multiple pages, use the "find" capability of your browser to look through the document for the specific term or phrase for which you are searching. This is easier and faster than scrolling down multiple pages. In Netscape there is a find button in the menu bar at the top of the screen. In Internet Explorer the option called "Find (on this page)" is located under "Edit" or can be activated by pressing Ctrl-F.
- Once you reach an Internet site that you find interesting be sure to create a bookmark/favorite so that you can return to the Web page at another time.
The Internet is growing and evolving. There are new and better search engines continuously being developed. I encourage you to use as many as you can, not just those mentioned here.
There are vast differences in the depth, accuracy, and currency of the information found on the Internet. A future column will discuss the evaluation of a Web site. Until then, happy surfing!
Thought for today: I am a HotBot searching for a Yahoo, looking for the Northern Light to guide me to Alta Vista.
References
- "CLT Glossary of Terms," CLT News, 1, 4 (1996): 3-7 (Special Issue).
- "Internet Search Sites, Editor's Choice," PC Magazine Online, December 1996 <http://www.pcmag.com/iu/srchsite/ec.htm> accessed October 21, 1997.
- Tweney, Dylan, "Searching is My Business: A Gumshoe's Guide to the Web," PC World (December 1996): 182-186; PC
World Online, December 1996 <http://www.pcworld.com/software/internet_www/articles/dec96/1412p182a.html> accessed October 21, 1997.
- Lebedev, Alexander (Moscow State University, Dept. Of Chemistry), "Best Search Engines for Finding Scientific Information on the Web," uploaded May 17, 1997 <http://www.chem.msu.su/eng/comparison.html#res> accessed October 21, 1997.
Search Engines mentioned in this article:
Bette Jean Ingui
Reference Services
New Circuit Librarian: Yanqing Li
Yanqing Li joined the Health Sciences Library staff on September 22 as the Regional Medical Circuit Librarian. Under the aegis of the Central New York Library Resources Council, Li provides reference services to four hospitals: Community Memorial Hospital (Hamilton), Little Falls Hospital, Oneida Healthcare Center, and Rome Memorial Hospital.
Li holds an M.A. in cultural anthropology and an M.L.S., both from SUNY Buffalo. He has taught English at the University of Beijing.
We all welcome Li and his family to our community.
Sixth Graders Visit the Library
Jim Capodagli demonstrates reference computers to St. Rose students.
On Thursday, October 16, the sixth grade students of Peggy Barbato at the St. Rose of Lima School in North Syracuse visited the Health Sciences Library as part of their "Career Day." They were given a tour of the Library by James Capodagli, Reference Librarian and Head of the Health Information Center, and a "show-and-tell" of 19th century medical instruments by Eric Luft, Curator of Historical Collections.
News from the Health Information Center
Among the recent community outreach activities and accomplishments of the Health Information Center (HIC) are several grants received and a number of public presentations.
Grant from the Auxiliary
The HIC will be awarded $1900 by the Auxiliary of the Health Science Center to be used for the purchase of a display case for anatomical models. The Auxiliary has previously awarded funds to the HIC for the purchase of these models to be used by patient educators or by the public.
CNY SIDS Foundation
The HIC has applied to the Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome of Central New York for a grant of $2000 which would be used to purchase a collection of print materials and videos. A public awareness campaign would make known the availability of these items and encourage parents and families who have suffered through a SIDS tragedy to use the HIC.
Amputee Support Network
The Amputee Support Network (ASN) continues to make donations of books, journals, and videos. The HIC has become the resource center for those who belong to ASN and need relevant information.
Exhibits and Presentations
In late June a one-hour presentation was made at the American Cancer Society in East Syracuse to over 50 members of Man to Man, a regional affiliate of the national prostate support group. Topics were the services of the HIC and how to search for health information. Handouts included a two-page list of Web sites for conducting searches on the World Wide Web and a sheet on how to communicate with and learn the most from a physician.
Also in June, the HIC was an exhibitor at a half-day conference, "Like Mother, Like Daughter," at the Skydeck, Carousel Center. About 75 people heard several speakers from the HSC, and services of the HIC were explained.
Health Fair
In April, the HIC represented the Health Science Center (along with other HSC exhibitors) at the Carousel Mall for a community health fair called "Learning to Grow, Happy, Safe, and Sound," produced by Success by Six. This event had exhibitors from around the county emphasizing child development, immunizations, and safety issues.
Clergy Day
"Contemporary Issues for Today's Congregation" was another community outreach effort in which the HIC participated. Local clergy were invited to the SUNY HSC on May 15 for a half day of presentations and demonstrations of current health issues. In addition to blood pressure, cholesterol, and lung testing, the attendees listened to talks about services at University Hospital. About fourteen of them toured the HIC and learned about its services. An evaluation of the day had several mention the HIC as a facility their congregations should know about and use.
Leadership Greater Syracuse
Leadership Greater Syracuse, an organization of local people from a variety of backgrounds, met for a day of presentations in Room 318 of the Health Sciences Library in early July. About 40 people enjoyed a slide presentation on HIC
resources and services and later toured our facility.
Because Leadership Greater Syracuse has a particular interest in the community involvement of local institutions, the presentation emphasized the unique characteristics of the HIC as a community resource. Speakers, including some from the Health Science Center, also covered management, health care benefits, telemedicine, and related issues.
Selected New Resources in the HIC
Women's health concerns are covered nicely in the following books:
- Karen J. Carlson. Harvard Guide To Women's Health (Harvard University Press, 1996). Consumer Health WA 309 C284h 1996.
- Kathleen Cahill Allison. American Medical Association Complete Guide To Women's Health (Random House, 1996). Consumer Health Ref WA 309 A5118 1996.
- Sydney Lou Bonnick. The Osteoporosis Handbook: Every Woman's Guide to Prevention and Treatment -- 2nd ed. -- (Taylor, 1997). Consumer Health WE 250 B718o 1997.
Newsletters Recently Acquired:
- Harvard Men's Health Watch (Harvard Medical School Publications Group, February 1997-present).
- University of California at Berkeley Wellness Letter (Health Letter Associates, February 1997-present).
- The Review of Natural Products: Facts and Comparisons (1992-present). Provides unbiased, referenced reviews of the history, chemistry, pharmacology, uses, abuses and toxicities of natural products.
Videotapes:
- Menopause: Guidelines to a Healthy Life (American Medical Communications). Consumer Health Video WP 580 A512m 1993.
- Video series from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, shelved in Consumer Health Video WE 300 to WE 870, including:
- Shoulder Arthroscopy.
- Understanding Total Hip Replacement.
- Lumbar Disc Surgery.
- Overcoming Low Back Pain.
Titles of various formats are added every month to the collection. The Winter 1998 Synapse will review other timely resources.
James A. Capodagli
Head of the Health Information Center
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