In message <Pine.SUN.3.91.950928162246.24503C-100000 at planet>,
news at planet.mh.dpi.qld.gov.au wrote:
>>>Before I ask for help, I have tried all avenues open to me eg Medline,
Current contents, Cab abstracts etc. I work full time and study a Grad
dip in Biotechnology parttime (I have done ALL my study parttime). A
current subject requires lit reviews of 500 words using papers current
this year. As I am biology trained and not medically trained, I am
having trouble locating the references suggested using the key words I
understand. Hence my request to the net<<< <snip>
I don't mean to be harsh, but knowing how to do a literature search is a
necessary skill for anyone working in biomedical science. Asking someone
to do your library work for you is like asking someone to do run your
protein gels for you because you don't know how to do it. The whole point
of graduate school is to learn what you need to know to be able to do
research, and that includes not just bench techniques and methods but
skills like public speaking, writing and, yes, how to find what you need
in the library.
Maybe I was just lucky, but biology and environmental studies majors (I'm
not sure about the other sciences) at my undergraduate institution were
_required_ to take a one-semester, 2-credit course on how to use a medical
school library, how to do literature searches, etc. - and this in the days
before Medline and Current Contents on Disk. ( We also had to walk
barefoot through the snow uphill both ways to get to the library ; ) ).
My point is that if you're an advanced undergrad or in grad school and
you're doing searches on Medline, Current Contents, etc. and still can't
find what you need, then maybe you need to step back and ask what the
problem is.
If the problem is vocabulary, you have a couple of options. One is to use
a good medical dictionary or other references to find appropriate
keywords. Another is to ask a librarian for help - if they're experienced
with Medline searches and the MESH structure, they can be a big help. And,
as a last resort, post to internet groups with a question like "I'm
looking for papers on the effects of freebitzers on the wingbeat speed in
Drosphila, and I'm having problems finding any. Can anyone suggest some
appropriate keywords for searching?" That sort of request is easier to
answer than "Does anyone know anything about freebitzers and fruit flies?"
Sherry Marts
American Health Assistance Foundation
