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Here are some common SMS Library questions accompanied by information that will help
you find the answers you need. |
How do I research the journal literature on my topic?
See the SMS Library Skillslist page
for tips on what databases to search, how to come up with search terms, and
other aspects of searching. |
What are some sources to help me decide on a topic for my paper?
This list is not comprehensive but may help:
- Talk with instructors and other students
- Scan the tables of contents of journals that have recently been received at SMS or look at the new issues on display.
- Check Medscape Women's Health News or another current awareness service to see current news in women's health.
- Do some searches on PubMed, Cochrane, or other biomedical databases. Use terms in topics you may already be interested, or use broad terms like pregnancy complications and limit the results to recent articles.
- Scan textbooks.
- Scan other books
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How do I get
training or help for using Medline, Cochrane, and other resources?
The librarian will be happy to consult with SMS students, faculty members,
and Library members in person or by phone or email on questions relating to
using these resources. You may also make an appointment with the SMS
librarian for a training session. Telephone consultations can be set up with
students and others who are geographically distant.
Also see the SMS library Skills List for
some general information on searching.
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How do I get copies of journal articles?
When you have a citation to a specific journal article
- Check the SMS Journals listing to see if
the journal is in the SMS collection. If so, you can make a copy of the article
yourself when you are next in the library.
- Check to see if it is available full-text online. The Library Full-Text Journal Articles page contains a list of online journals that can be accessed for free from any Internet location. Chances are
that the article you are looking for will not be freely available. However, it is
always worth checking..
- If the article is not available at SMS or online, check at academic or biomedical libraries in your area to see if it is available there. To determine if the article is from a journal that is at the UW Library, search the UW Library Catalog.
This library is open to the public and you can make copies of journal articles
onsite. If you are geographically distant from the UW Library and
other large biomedical libraries, try your local public library - they may
provide some interlibrary loan services to patrons.
- If the article is not available at SMS, online, or at the UW or another library, you may be able to order it through PubMed or the publisher's web site. This option is expensive (typically $25 per article or more), but can be very fast (a couple of days).
When you are looking for a full-text article on a subject or by an author but do not have a specific article in mind
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Check the tables of contents of recent issues of journals relevant to your
topic.
- Try searching PubMed for articles on your topic of interest and limiting the
search to journals that are in the SMS holdings.
- Check the sources on the SMS Library Full-Text Journal Articles page.
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Where can I get help with questions when the SMS library is not staffed?
Many questions can be answered through the SMS Library web pages. Check the Information Locator
page, which lists the library pages available.
Some questions can be answered by the SMS front desk person.
If you have a reference question that needs immediate attention, you can try your local public library. Washington residents can also call the UW Health Sciences Library information desk with questions. The UW library serves as the Regional Medical Library for the Pacific region and part of its mission is to assist the public.
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I have a bibliography of articles that I would like to get copies of. Where can I get the actual articles?
Start by consulting the Journals page to see what SMS has available on site for you to access. Then think about other libraries that might have the resources you need. Bastyr University and the University of Washington Health Sciences Library have extensive journal collections. If you live near a hospital or university, check out their library resources. Public libraries may have access to some medical and health related sources as well.
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Does PubMed
(Medline) give me access to the full text of journal articles?
PubMed provides indexing only, and not full-text access, to the majority of
the articles in its database. However, a limited number of full-text journal
articles are available full-text via PubMed. This number may increase in the
future. |
What are systematic reviews and meta-analyses?
A systematic review is a review of the primary research literature on a clinical question that is performed according to a rigorous and predefined methodology.
The authors of a systematic review attempt to locate all relevant studies on a research question. The methodology of the identified studies is then evaluated according to standard criteria of quality and validity. The results of those studies that meet these criteria are then collectively assessed to see what evidence they provide on the research question.
A meta-analysis is a type of systematic review in which the numerical data from the studies included are integrated into a new data set.
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What are the relationships between Medline, PubMed, Index Medicus,
and the National Library of Medicine?
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the official biomedical library of the United States National
Institutes of Health. It is a national library on a par with the Library of Congress.
For a complete list of the databases NLM provides, go to
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases.html.
MEDLINE
Medline is the NLM's most extensive bibliographic database. It is considered by
many to be the premier bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine,
nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and the preclinical sciences. Articles
from nearly 4,500 international biomedical journals are indexed in Medline.
PUBMED
PubMed is the principal online interface, or "front-end" to Medline offered by the NLM. PubMed
offers great searching power and provides for organization and management of
retrieved article citations.
INDEX MEDICUS
Index Medicus is the printed counterpart to Medline. It contains citations to articles from approximately 3,400 journals, slightly fewer than Medline.
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Do I have to pay a fee to use PubMed?
PubMed and the other National Library of Medicine bibliographic databases are available for public use without a fee.
Some web pages provide an interface to Medline that ask you to pay a fee or that require you to view advertising. It is recommended to avoid using these pages and to use
PubMed.
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What is in the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews?
The Cochrane library contains a number of sets of articles and data. The main part of the library is its collection of original systematic reviews. The Cochrane library is considered by many to be the preeminent source for evidence based medicine reviews of the literature. Many of the systematic reviews in the Library are in the field of perinatal research. Other components of the Library include review protocols, which are systematic reviews in their early stages, and a database of abstracts of quality-assessed systematic reviews of clinical research. |
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