The Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology collection of “back files” from ScienceDirect are now available in full-text through the Research Medical Library’s website, making available online a body of scientific work that has been increasingly difficult to access, as print collections have been downsized in favor of electronic resources.  For the first time, early articles published by M. D. Anderson research faculty working at the Baker Estate in the 1940s can be accessed online. 

In January 2001, Elsevier, a leading global publisher of science and health information, embarked on an extensive program to make its entire journal list dating back over 180 years available electronically through ScienceDirect. With this initiative offered to libraries in subject-specific packages, Elsevier is actively demonstrating its ongoing commitment to “knowledge preservation,” ensuring that the scientific research community will have continuing functional access to the electronic versions of journal articles.

The Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology collection includes over 140 journals, with the oldest dating back to 1947.  Top titles in this collection include:  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) (1947-1994); Clinica Chimica Acta (1956-1994); Gene (1976-1994); and Free Radical Biology and Medicine (1987-1994).  For a complete list of the journals in the Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology collection, see http://info.sciencedirect.com/techsupport/journals/bfbiogenmol.htm.  As new titles have been added to ScienceDirect, they have been made available as supplements: http://info.sciencedirect.com/techsupport/journals/bfbiogenmolsup1.htm.   

ScienceDirect’s interface has new functionality that enables users to personalize many features:

• Users are able to view reference information within the body of a paper by moving the cursor over a reference marker;

• To quickly and easily evaluate articles, users can access individual article components, including abstracts, figures and tables, and references cited through the search results, table of contents, and article pages;

• A new article toolbox brings all the article-related functionality, including “cited by,” “e-mail article,” and other features, into one easy-to-find location. 

To further refine search results, soon users will be able to apply four filters: “content type,” “source title,” “date,” and “topics” without having to return to the search page.  Finally, in coming months, integration of article comments and ratings from  Elsevier’s research and social collaboration site, 2collab (http://www.2collab.com/), will enable users to evaluate articles based on comments and ratings by colleagues right on the article page.

In August, OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) launched a pilot service that encourages not only librarians but also other interested parties to discover and share information about the copyright status of books.  The WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry seeks to build a union catalog of copyright evidence based on WorldCat, which contains over 100 million bibliographic records held by thousands of libraries worldwide.  The goal of the Copyright Evidence Registry is to encourage a cooperative environment to discover, create and share copyright evidence through a collaboratively created and maintained database.  As it stands now, a lengthy, arduous process is used to determine the status of books whose copyright status is unknown (often called orphan works).  The Registry should reduce the amount of time and money spent investigating copyright status of books.  It will not provide conclusions, however; instead it provides information, tools, and a community to assist you in conducting your own copyright status investigation and form your own conclusions.  The Registry will have different levels of participation but users are not limited to librarians.  You can create a free WorldCat account and enter your own username to search and contribute to the Copyright Evidence Registry.  For more information, see http://www.worldcat.org/copyrightevidence/registry/about

All classes are held in the RML classroom (FCT21.6008) unless noted.

For class descriptions, schedule, and printable handouts go to: http://www3.mdanderson.org/library/classes/libclass.html.

We will not be offering our regular schedule of classes in the month of August. Our regular schedule of educational classes will resume in September.

Email RSS Alerts for New Publications

Finding Journals Online

PubMed - the Basics

PubMed - Beyond the Basics

SCOPUS

All classes require pre-registration. M.D. Anderson employees should register through the Education Center at: http://inside.mdanderson.org/education/edcenter/index.html. For class descriptions and printable handouts or calendars go to: http://www3.mdanderson.org/library/classes/libclass.html.

If you are unable to access the Education Center or have questions about classes, please contact Esmeralda Calderon (ecalder@mdanderson.org, 713-745-1949).

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