Getting together with compact disc: a regional medline cd-rom initiative for libraries

相似文献   

Price indexes for the new media: a cd-rom case history

This article is based on a presentation given July 1, 1991, at the American Library Association's annual conference. It reports on an attempt to develop a CD-ROM price index modelled on the price indexes for serials and other materials produced under the aegis of ALA's Library Materials Price Index Committee and conforming to ANSI Standard Z39.20-1983. This proved to be an impossible task, primarily because of the inability to define a reliable unit of measurement for CD-ROM prices and the difficulty of tracking a sufficiently representative sample of the universe of CD-ROM titles purchased by libraries over the period from 1988–1991. However, the value of simply tracking the prices of a data sample without a base index year—a price inventory—was recognized by the Committee. The data gathered thus far were analyzed to show price trends by LC subject classification and publication types (monographs and serials). The 4.3% increase from 1989 to 1990 reflects the change from $1,783 to $1,860 in publication price for the average CD-ROM title. The evolution and stabilization of the CD-ROM publishing industry in the 1990s should support the eventual establishment of a CD-ROM price index, on which work continues.     

Purchasing cd-rom products: Considerations for a new technology

This article outlines primary considerations in the acquisition of CD-ROM products. The advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM technology are delineated, and approximately 30 products are listed. A statement about collection development goals is included, as is a summary of equipment needs and a selected bibliography.     

MEDLINE and MeSH: challenges for end users

Through casual observations, formal consultations, and educational sessions, the authors have identified various indexing features of the National Library of Medicine's Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) that pose challenges to end users while attempting to obtain relevant retrieval when searching MEDLINE. These problematic features include the use of Explodes, Tree structures, subheadings, Text Word vs. subject heading searching, and central concept searching. End-user search software is becoming more sophisticated with an increasing number of choices offered for search strategy formulation. Methods of instruction to orient the end user to these systems will also have to become more detailed. A review of the literature, that discusses end-user problems with using MEDLINE and MeSH, is included.     

Downloading from medline: a comparison of personal database software.

相似文献   

Retrieving randomized controlled trials from medline: a comparison of 38 published search filters

Background: People search medline for trials of healthcare interventions for clinical decisions, or to produce systematic reviews, practice guidelines, or technology assessments. Finding all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with little extraneous material is challenging. Objective: To provide comparative data on the operating characteristics of search filters designed to retrieve RCTs from medline . Methods: We identified 38 filters. The testing database comprises handsearching data from 161 clinical journals indexed in medline . Sensitivity, specificity and precision were calculated. Results: The number of terms and operating characteristics varied considerably. Comparing the retrieval against the single term ‘randomized controlled trials.pt.’ (sensitivity for retrieving RCTs, 93.7%), 24 of 38 filters had statistically higher sensitivity; 6 had a sensitivity of at least 99.0%. Four other filters had specificities (non retrieval of non‐RCTs) that were statistically not different or better than the single term (97.6%). Precision was poor: only two filters had precision (proportion of retrieved articles that were RCTs) statistically similar to that of the single term (56.4%)—all others were lower. Filters with more search terms often had lower specificity, especially at high sensitivities. Conclusion: Many RCT filters exist (n = 38). These comparative data can direct the choice of an RCT filter.     

Accessing public health information: a preliminary comparison of CABI's global health database and medline

Background: Access to a comprehensive public health index or database has been identified as problematic for health professionals. Public health literature contains many varied sources including reports, journal articles, and grey literature. Traditional biomedical databases such as medline often do not meet the needs of public health workers and researchers. Aim/Methods: The aim of the study was to examine the unique content of the global health database, by comparing it to the medline database. Pre‐determined terms were used as baseline comparators where controlled vocabulary definitions in each database were sufficiently matched. Retrieved results were stored and compared using EndNote libraries. Results: Results obtained from the terms used in the comparison study protocol suggest that the global health database holds a high proportion of unique records in comparison to medline . The largest overlap of duplicates from the global health database perspective came from the coccidiomycosis results set which contained 70.5% of references retrieved from both databases. Analyzing the results from a medline perspective, the subject with the largest overlap was dengue, with a 43% overlap. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the global health database is complimentary to medline in the subject areas of public health and global health.     

Web-based Loansome Doc, librarians, and end users: results from a survey of the Southeast Region

OBJECTIVES: The study examines how Loansome Doc services are implemented and used by libraries in the Southeast Region and describe end users' experiences with and attitudes toward Loansome Doc. METHODS: 251 active DOCLINE libraries and 867 Loansome Doc users were surveyed. RESULTS: Roughly one half of the libraries offered Loansome Doc services. Of those that did not, most indicated no plans to offer it in the future. The majority had a small number of end users and experienced minimal increases in interlibrary loan activity. Problems were relatively rare. Satisfaction with Loansome Doc was high among all types of libraries. End users were usually physicians or other health care professionals who requested articles for research and patient care. Most learned about Loansome Doc through PubMed or Internet Grateful Med. End users appeared to be largely self-taught or received informal instruction in Loansome Doc. Loansome Doc filled document requests in a timely manner, and end users reported being satisfied with the service. CONCLUSIONS: Greater promotion of what Loansome Doc is and how it can benefit libraries can increase the number of participating libraries. While satisfaction of Loansome Doc end users is high, satisfaction could be increased with more help on the PubMed screen, more library training, and faster delivery methods.     

Semantic indexing: a case study

Semantic indexing is a way of coding digital texts and images to represent their associated abstract meanings in database form. Databases encoded in this way enable users to answer complex questions and provide multiple, organized, summary views of their contents. In this article, the author discusses the techniques used in creating a semantically indexed database and provides examples of the utility thereby gained. The author examines the differences between traditional indexing and semantic indexing, and provides insight into the methodology of semantic indexing, using examples.     

Language barriers and bibliographic retrieval effectiveness: use of MEDLINE by French-speaking end users.

OBJECTIVE: A study was conducted to determine if bibliographic retrieval performed by French-speaking end users is impaired by English language interfaces. The American database MEDLINE on CD-ROM was used as a model. METHODS: A survey of self-administered questionnaires was performed at two libraries of Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 University, during a two-month period in 1997. Three study groups were constituted: MEDLINE / Ovid end users, MEDLINE / Ovid librarian-mediated users, and Pascal, a French bibliographic database, end users. RESULTS: Among 191 respondents, only 22% thought English was an obstacle to their bibliographic retrieval. However, the research software was generally underused and the quality of the retrieval weak. The differences were statistically significant between users trained by librarians and the self-trained group, the former performing better. CONCLUSION: Special efforts need to be made to develop curriculum training programs for computerized bibliographic retrieval in medical schools, regardless of the native language of the student.     

Cruising through the stacks: Developing tools to rapidly and economically mass-produce stack end signage: A case study

The purpose of this article is to describe a case study that addresses issues related to stack end signage in a university library. Poor stack end signage can negatively influence patrons' ability to navigate the library and locate physical materials. At the Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library, a tool was developed using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word to quickly and inexpensively mass-produce effective and user-friendly stack end signage. This article details the specific steps taken to develop, implement, and utilize this instrument.     

E-government evaluation: a framework and case study

The importance of measuring the performance of e-government cannot be overemphasized. In this paper, a flexible framework is suggested to choose an appropriate strategy to measure the tangible and intangible benefits of e-government. An Indian case study of NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Corporation) has been taken up for analysis and placement into the framework. The results obtained suggest that to have a proper evaluation of tangible and intangible benefits of e-government, the projects should be in a mature stage with proper information systems in place. All of the e-government projects in India are still in a nascent stage; hence, proper information flow for calculating ‘return on e-government’ considering tangible and intangible benefits cannot be fully ascertained.     

Co-streaming classes: a follow-up study in improving the user experience to better reach users

Co-streaming classes have enabled library staff to extend open classes to distance education students and other users. Student evaluations showed that the model could be improved. Two areas required attention: audio problems experienced by online participants and staff teaching methods. Staff tested equipment and adjusted software configuration to improve user experience. Staff training increased familiarity with specialized teaching techniques and troubleshooting procedures. Technology testing and staff training were completed, and best practices were developed and applied. Class evaluations indicate improvements in classroom experience. Future plans include expanding co-streaming to more classes and on-going data collection, evaluation, and improvement of classes.     

"跨界融合子"审理对我们的启示:审稿案例分析

通过分析典型审稿案例,揭示审稿活动的科学本质.科学的可批评性使审稿成为可能和必要.审稿人应首先审核论文中结果的可重复性条件.划清科学实践与经验的界限是正确审稿的必要理论准备,论文结果的价值判断应以"材料和方法"的可靠性为前提.学术期刊编辑应充分重视审稿人的意见,防止"轰动效应"干扰自己的正常判断力.审稿活动中的"马太效应"可以成为推进科学进步的动力,使已有科学理论体系的"潜能"得到充分揭示,使真正具有生命力的科学新芽在脱颖而出时已扎根深土,格外茁壮.