MEDLINE access via Internet?

[ROBERT BOOT, HERSTON MEDICAL LIBRARY]

In article <f-norman.74.0 at nimr.mrc.ac.uk>, f-norman at nimr.mrc.ac.uk (Frank Norman) writes:
> In article <199309131954.OAA26075 at mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu> dmsander at mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu (David M. Sander) writes:
>>From: dmsander at mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu (David M. Sander)
>>Subject: MEDLINE access via Internet?
>>Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 14:53:04 -0500
>>
>>I have been trying to get access to MEDLINE via internet and so far I have
>>come up with nothing.  The National Library of Medicine access is out of my
>>price range so that is not an option either.  Does anyone have any ideas or
>>alternatives?
> 
> The NLM produce Medline as a quasi-commercial product (albeit heavily 
> subsidised).  Access to Medline through the NLM system has always been one 
> of the cheapest routes to Medline online.

Oh, yes? It is certainly one of the least predictable & understandable. Also
BRS offers better access to the databse in terms of searching tools & the
ability to search the whole file at once. NLM's software belongs to the early
70's. I grew up with it but it is still out of the dark ages compared with BRS.
Dialog software just does not understand the nature of the data.

>  A number of other 
> commercial systems (Dialog, Datastar, BRS) also provide access but at a 
> higher price.
  ??????
   
> You will not find free access to Medline on the Internet 
> (except by mistake :-). 

Quite so.

> Your best bet is to contact your Univ library and 
> enquire whether they can provide you with Medline access via the Univ 
> network.
 
___________________________________________________________________________
ROBERT BOOT                                             R.BOOT at cc.uq.edu.au
HERSTON MEDICAL LIBRARY
The University of Queensland                       Telephone +61 7 365 5354
Brisbane Qld 4072  AUSTRALIA                       Facsimile +61 7 365 5243