Skip to content | Skip to search box

Books & Bytes

Volume 7, Number 6      March-April 1995

Books & Bytes is produced by the HSLIC Library Staff for Health Sciences Center personnel. Copyright University of Washington.

Table of Contents

  1. Saga of a Well-Connected Faculty Member
  2. The Well-Connected Faculty Computer
  3. hsl at u.washington.edu: Your Electronic Gateway to Library Services
  4. Access to UWIN From Your Homes or Off-Campus Office
  5. Troubleshooting Your Connection From Home
  6. Visible Human Videodisc in TLC
  7. Telnet versus UW Access to UWIN: What's Different About it?
  8. Glossary of Internet Terms
  9. Climbing on the World Wide Web
  10. Willow for Windows
  11. Biennium Deadline for Materials Purchases
  12. Personal Files Managers Simplify Bibliography Preparation
  13. Downloading References to Your Personal Files Manager
  14. Connecting to Funding Information Online
  15. Acting Social Work Librarian
  16. Serial Title Changes, January - March 1995
  17. Recent Gifts
Contributors to this issue: Philip Arny, Sherry Dodson, Diana Hall, Terry Ann Jankowski, Cindy Jenkins, Debbie Ketchell, Lisa Oberg, Paula Palmer, Carolyn Weaver.

Saga of a Well-Connected Faculty Member

When Irl Hirsch was recruited from Washington University in St. Louis to be the first Medical Director of the new Diabetes Care Center, he was a self-admitted computer neophyte. Dr. Hirsch used the months from his arrival in June 1990 until the opening of the Diabetes Care Center in March 1991 to "learn computers" from colleagues, who turned him on to the powers of the Macintosh and the wonders of Persuasion for slide making.

"Persuasion was the real turning point in my use of computers. I read everything I could get my hands on about Persuasion," stated Dr. Hirsch, who wisely retained disk copies of all his slide presentations. Those disk copies proved invaluable on election day last fall, when he hurriedly left the Husky Stadium parking lot for the second of two speaking engagements. "There were all kinds of campaigners waving at me in the Montlake area, but it wasn't until I reached 520, heard a clunk, saw my slides flying on the road and a car crash into the slide tray that I realized I'd left the parking lot with my slide tray on top of the car."

By the time the Diabetes Care Center was ethernetted in Spring 1992, Dr. Hirsch had acquired a Macintosh IIsi and was eager to start using email and searching MEDLINE® from his desktop. He took advantage of HSLIC's consultation program and worked with Sherry Dodson, his department's library liaison and coincidentally his clinic patient. Sherry made an office call to Dr. Hirsch's office, showed him the basics of MEDLINE® searching, and set him up with email. Sherry also became the first of several patients to receive lab results via email, which Dr. Hirsch finds much more expeditious than sending test results through U.S. mail. Dr. Hirsch feels that the rapid turnaround time for test results is just one of the reasons that the Diabetes Care Center receives high marks on patient satisfaction surveys. "Email access to a physician at home to help troubleshoot problems of diabetes control has proven particularly advantageous to patients traveling abroad," observes Hirsch. "Alan Chait, my colleague, calls me the King of Email, since I rarely use the phone any longer." Among other things, Dr. Hirsch points out that the New England Journal of Medicine now accepts letters to the editor via email.

Titillated by discussions of the World Wide Web (Web) in the Personal Technology section of the Sunday Seattle Times, Dr. Hirsch again contacted Sherry for help in accessing the Web. Lisa Oberg, HSLIC's primary Macintosh consultant, loaded NCSA Mosaic on Hirsch's computer and with Sherry set up another house call for Mosaic training. Dr. Hirsch states, "Mosaic is so cool! I use it for everything imaginable, from monitoring the growing commercial presence of blood glucose monitoring equipment companies that my patients might be seeing to checking the traffic conditions and taking a different bridge home to the Eastside or a different route to the airport before I hop in my car." The downside of Web browsers such as Mosaic is that they take up so much memory that Dr. Hirsch has now outgrown his computer.

Since acquiring a modem for his Macintosh at home, Dr. Hirsch has been arriving home earlier. "From home I can monitor any of my clinic patients who may be hospitalized and intervene with the housestaff when necessary," he states. "I also monitor newsgroups, using the new Pine email feature, since I don't have time to keep up with them at the office." Although most of the newsgroups are diabetes related, Hirsch's favorite is the St. Louis Cardinals newsgroup, which helps him keep up with his home team.

[Return to Table of Contents]

The Well-Connected Faculty Computer

This issue of Books & Bytes focuses on The Well-Connected Faculty Computer -- the hardware, software, and skills needed to make optimal use of the myriad of electronic resources available on campus, in text files on the Internet, and as graphics and sound images on the World Wide Web. With a well-connected workstation, UW faculty and staff can access the Libraries Catalog from home or office; run MEDLINE® searches and download references to personal bibliographies; check on lab results from home; communicate with students; collaborate online with colleagues on the other side of the globe; access graphics, sound, and video images online; locate funding resources for new projects; check traffic information before choosing a route home; obtain airline reservations; retrieve a full-text copy of MMWR.

This issue is intended as a field guide for those who are getting ready to venture into the electronic wilderness. If you need a personal guide in coping with Gophers, Lynx, and the other wildlife to be encountered there (not to mention Web natives speaking an unknown language!), make an appointment with your library liaison. We're here to help.

[Return to Table of Contents]

hsl at u.washington.edu: Your Electronic Gateway to Library Services

Virtually all Health Sciences Libraries services can now be requested online by sending an email message to hsl at u.washington.edu or using electronic forms that are available on HealthTracks (gopher) and HealthLinks (Web). Through this electronic gateway you can:

hsl at u.washington.edu is highly effective for obtaining a rapid response to your inquiry, since this generic mailbox, which is used for the K.K. Sherwood and Social Work Libraries as well as HSLIC, is read several times a day. Messages are routed to the most appropriate section for a response and are usually answered within one working day. While all Libraries staff have personal email addresses, use of the generic mailbox avoids delays caused by staff absences. If you wish to use electronic forms to request services, simply sign onto UWIN and follow the path Health Sciences Track -> HealthTracks: UW HSC Gopher -> Library Resources -> UW Health Sciences Libraries -> Forms to request various library services. The HealthLinks URL address is http://healthlinks.washington.edu. Choose the Library. Questions? Send a message to hsl at u.washington.edu.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Access to UWIN From Your Home or Off-Campus Office

UWIN, the University of Washington Information Navigator, offers a growing set of electronic information resources from campus and remote systems. Requirements to navigate on the campus network include a personal computer equipped with a modem (minimum of 14.4 bps recommended) and telecommunications software, a telephone line, and a UW Uniform Access account and password. Set your communications software to the following parameters: 8 bits; no parity; 1 stop bit; full duplex; VT100 or VT102 terminal emulation.

Follow the instructions provided for your communications software and dial one of the telephone numbers listed below to connect to the UW. Seattle area users should use the following local telephone number that corresponds to the speed of their modem:

     9600/14400 BPS     685-7796
     2400 BPS           685-7724
     1200 BPS           685-7712

Toll-free numbers outside the Seattle local calling area:

     East King County   644-5599
     Everett area       514-5599
     Olympia area       923-5599
     Tacoma area        522-5599

Outside the toll-free areas, call 1-800-445-5599. This U-WATS service requires a UW budget number and long distance access code.

If you already have a UW account, enter your uniform access computer's name at the system prompt (e.g., homer) and login with your username and password. UW faculty, staff, and students can establish a new user account online by typing homer at the prompt. Then type new at both the login: and password: prompts and follow the on-screen instructions. If you need help with your user account, call Computing & Communications at 543-5970 or send email to help@cac.washington.edu. For assistance in using UWIN and locally mounted databases, send an email message to hsl at u.washington.edu or call any of the Health Sciences Libraries.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Troubleshooting Your Connection From Home

"The screen is jumbled and I can't read it." "How can I print (or save) my references from MEDLINE®?" Questions similar to these are heard daily at the Health Sciences Libraries service desks. With your assistance, we can often help you solve your connection problems.

Using a piece of computer software involves interactions between the program, the computer's operating system, the computer hardware, and yourself. When you dial into the campus system, you are adding additional layers: the modem, telephone lines, a telecommunications program, and the campus computer's operating system, user interface, and hardware. So it is not surprising that when something goes wrong, it is not an easy task to determine what happened and how to solve it.

As troubleshooters, our job is to work with you to identify possible sources of the problem and suggest solutions. You will be asked to describe your computer setup (DOS or Mac, modem speed, and telecommunications program) as well as what happened (database in use, error messages received, steps already taken to correct the problem). Before calling the Library, it is a good idea to write down this information and have it at hand. By walking through the process with you, we can often identify the problem and suggest solutions. Your patience and willingness to share information help us to assist you.

Connection problems often lie with your communications software. The low-end programs bundled with some modems often cause problems and may need to be replaced by a standard, high-quality program for better results. Kermit, a low-cost program available for both DOS and Macintosh machines from the University Book Store, is supported by Computing & Communications. Other programs supported by HSLIC include ClarisWorks, CrossTalk, MicroPhone, ProComm, SmartCom, White Knight, and Zterm. We have had some experience with all of these programs and can provide useful information in adjusting your settings so that you can connect to UWIN databases, download and print references. Similarly, if you wish to manage your references using a personal files management software, we support EndNote, ProCite, and Reference Manager. While other programs may work with your computer setup and the campus system, we have no experience in using them and are unable to help you with them aside from recommending standard settings, e.g., VT100 or VT102 terminal emulation. We will refer you to the software producer for assistance.

For assistance with telecommunications packages (other than Kermit), personal files management software or search strategy, call the Health Sciences Libraries Information Desk (543-3394), the K.K. Sherwood Library (223-3360), the Social Work Library (685-2180) or send email to hsl at u.washington.edu. Kermit assistance is available from Computing & Communications (help@cac.washington.edu or 543-5227).

[return to Table of Contents]

Visible Human Videodisc in TLC

Images from the Visible Human project funded by the National Library of Medicine are now available on videodisc in the Teaching Learning Center (TLC). This project, carried out by Victory Spitzer and David Whitlock at the University of Colorado, involved freezing a cadaver, taking very thin shavings, and photographing each revealed layer. The images were captured on digital and conventional cameras. They can be stacked and manipulated in various ways to allow labeling, viewing, and "trips" through the body. The videodisc contains video segments and unlabeled still images which scan through the body from head to toe in a complex and eye-catching movie. Anatomical features are not labeled. Supporting software and labeled images may be available in a future version. If you are interested in viewing this experimental product, contact Philip Arny at parny@u.washington.edu or 685-3125.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Telnet Versus UW Access to UWIN: What's Different About It?

Access to the Libraries Catalog and certain other UWIN resources is available to the general public via the Internet using the telnet command. The public can also reach the UW system through Seattle Public Library and King County Library System Internet gateways. However, the version of UWIN accessed through these "anonymous" gateways is substantially more limited than the full-featured version available to UW faculty, staff, and students connecting through personal accounts, due to licensing agreements which limit access to many of the library databases to UW users.

The difference between versions is readily apparent beyond the welcome screen. For "anonymous UWIN" users connecting via telnet, the list of categories on the Services Index is reduced, and the number of associated services is substantially smaller. Non-affiliated users may access many public information resources, but will find that database access is confined to the UW Libraries and Gallagher Law Library catalogs and that they cannot access any of the locally-mounted databases available to UW affiliates. Selecting Health Sciences Tracks from an off-campus computer leads only to HealthTracks> UW HSC Gopher. Database options such as MEDLINE® and WORLDCAT do not appear on the menu.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Glossary of Internet Terms

Browser
Web access client program, such as Lynx, Mosaic or Netscape, that reads and displays hypertext documents.
Email
Electronic mail. The transfer of messages, generally using Internet addresses, via computer.
Gopher
A system for exploring Internet resources using text-based hierarchical menus.
Hypertext
Method by which diverse document types such as text, images and sounds are linked together and accessible through a unified interface called a Browser.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language, used in writing pages for the World Wide Web. It includes both text and codes that define fonts, layout, embedded graphics, and hypertext links.
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The communication protocol that defines how HTML documents are displayed by the browser you are using.
Internet
The worldwide "network of networks" that are connected to each other, using the IP protocol and other similar protocols. The Internet provides file transfer, remote login, electronic mail, news and other services.
Link
A hypertext bridge between two documents. Generally designated by Bold Type or Underlined characters in an HTML document.
Lynx
A character-based distributed HTML delivery service designed to work over the Internet. Provides access to textual material, but not graphics or sound. Available to all UW affiliates via UWIN for those dialing in from off campus or without the necessary hardware requirements to run Mosaic and Netscape.
Listserv
A electronic discussion group devoted to discussing shared interests or specific topics, e.g. kayaking or health care reform.
Mosaic
A Web browser developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Serves as an umbrella bringing together sound, images and video as well as text, by coordinating with other software. Available in Mac and DOS versions.
Netscape
A Web browser which is more integrated than Mosaic but requires more memory to run. Available in Mac and DOS versions.
SLIP/PPP
Serials Line Internet Protocol/Point-to-Point Protocol. These protocols enable a computer to become a direct part of the internet using standard telephone lines and modems. Not available from UW Uniform Access computers (e.g., Homer) at this time.
TCP/IP
Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The system which networks use to communicate with each other on the Internet.
Telnet
A "terminal emulation" protocol that allows you to log in to other computer systems on the Internet.
URL
Uniform Resource Locator. The standard identifier for a home page or Internet resource that tells your browser how to communicate with the document or resource, e.g. gopher, FTP, HTML, its Internet address, and directory information.
Usenet
Bulletin board type system containing information on virtually any topic. Requires use of a newsgroup reader.
World Wide Web
Also known as "The Web." A hypertext-based portion of the Internet with information organized by subject on "pages" with links to other resources. See also Browser.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Climbing on the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web (Web) is the mechanism by which graphics, data, sound, images, and moving pictures can be transmitted over the Internet. Web Home Pages, containing links to other resources, are created using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), and made available by loading the page on a computer which uses a Web "host" software package. Internet users read the page using a Web browser which connects to the host, accesses the information, and formats it for viewing on their computers. Netscape and Mosaic are two popular browsers which can be used on properly configured Macintosh or Windows computers. This article briefly outlines the requirements for such access.

If your system cannot meet the specifications outlined below, you can explore the Web using a simple text-based interface on UWIN called Lynx. You cannot retrieve pictures or sound through Lynx, but you can access textual information. From the main UWIN menu, select Internet Resources -> Lynx: World Wide Web Gateway.

"Graphical" Web access makes heavier demands on your computer. You need a high-speed machine with at least 8MB RAM, a hard disk with a substantial amount of free space, a high resolution color monitor (17" preferred), and good sound support. Your network connection should be as high-speed as possible (14.4 - 28.8 kb), and you will need a Web browser such as Netscape or Mosaic. A Macintosh station at a minimum should have the 030 processor (040 or Power PC provides better speed), 8MB RAM, and an 80-100MB hard drive. For Windows machines, a nice configuration is a 486/33 Mhz computer with 8-12MB RAM and an 80-100MB hard drive. While lower-level systems can be used for Web access, they may be unacceptably slow.

A substantial amount of free space on your hard drive is important, since Web browsers create temporary files to store retrieved information. For instance, the file for an image or video playback of a frog dissection might be as large as 10-12 megabytes. The browser downloads the image or video to your hard drive, then opens up the designated program or graphics viewer. Expect rude error messages from your computer if your hard drive has less than 5MB of free space and you try to view a 12MB file!

Web access on Campus

To access the Web on campus workstations, you should have an ethernet connection. You will also need an IP number (your computer's unique Internet address), which is assigned either by Computing & Communications (C&C), or by your department's systems administrator.

Macintosh users also need MacTCP software (version 2.04 or later), which allows your Macintosh to talk to the network. It is bundled with most new Apple computers and is also available without charge from C&C. Although newer Macs often have ethernet circuitry built in, a special adapter may be required to connect to your ethernet port.

With a Windows station, things are a bit more complicated (see illustration). System requirements include a 10 base T ethernet card installed in your computer and TCP/IP software to let your computer talk to the network. Some TCP/IP programs may not be compatible with other software you are running, especially if you are already connected to a local area network (LAN). If you do use a LAN, talk to your systems administrator about your options. TCP/IP software is included in Novell's Lan Workplace for DOS, Microsoft NT, Windows 95, Trumpet, and Chameleon. You also need compatible Windows Socket (WinSock) software, which controls the information flow between the TCP/IP software and Windows. Since a TCP/IP package may be incompatible with a WinSock package from a different vendor, you should acquire both from the same source. Following are two popular packages that are readily available on campus:

NCSA Packet drivers and Trumpet WinSock

NCSA provides a base packet driver, which works with Trumpet to enable Web access. NCSA packet drivers are freeware which are available via ftp at ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu. Trumpet WinSock is shareware which is available via ftp at a number of sites, including ftp.cica.indiana.edu. Trumpet is expected to become the C&C standard when SLIP/PPP becomes available to UW users from home later this year.

LanWorkplace for DOS with Winsock

LAN Workplace for DOS (LWPD), published by Novell Corporation, is free to any campus user under UW's campus site license. You can obtain it from C&C at the Brooklyn building by duplicating the four software diskettes. LWPD includes drivers for many ethernet cards, as well as a WinSock driver. It is also compatible with Novell networks. This configuration will run Netscape. If you are using Mosaic as your viewer, you will also need Win 32s, the software which lets Windows run 32 bit programs; this can be downloaded from ftp.ms.com.

Web access off campus

If you plan to access the Web from an off-campus site, you will need the same software and hardware configurations as described above, except for the ethernet card for your Windows station. In addition, you will need:

A high-speed modem.
14.4 kb is acceptable; 28.8 kb is preferred.
SLIP or PPP software,
which emulates a direct ethernet connection to the Internet.
An account with an Internet provider.

Since the UW does not currently support SLIP/PPP access, you will need to purchase an account with a commercial Internet service provider. Both Puget Sound Computer User and the Seattle Times Personal Technology section regularly list Internet providers. Prices vary widely, but expect to pay $20-$50 per month for these services. C&C is expected to offer SLIP/PPP service later this year.

Several good Internet kits are available which include manuals and all the software you need to get connected from home. Two examples available from the University Bookstore are Internet in a Box, available for Windows, and the Internet Starter Kit, available for both Macintosh and Windows.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Willow for Windows

WinWillow is the PC-Windows version of the graphical interface which many of you are familiar with on the terminals in the Libraries and the Medical Centers. After a successful alpha test, we are now ready to accept faculty and staff beta testers.

Although we do not expect you to encounter significant software bugs, beta testers must be self-sufficient with regard to software installation, since no help will be available during this testing phase. WinWillow requirements: 8MB RAM; a large hard disk; TCP/IP, WinSock, and Win32 software; and a direct connection to the campus network using either ethernet in your office or SLIP/PPP with a 14.4 kb modem from off campus through a third party Internet service.

Interested health sciences faculty should send an email message to hsl at u.washington.edu with the subject line: WinWillow Beta. In the text of the message, please provide your name, email address, phone number, department, mailstop. WinWillow will then be emailed back to you as an attached MIME file.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Biennium Deadline for Materials Purchases

Every two years, the Libraries faces deadlines for ordering books and serials in order to assure payment of all invoices by the end of the biennium. This year's deadlines are February 28 for new serial subscriptions and March 31 for monographs. Purchase requests for books and serials submitted after the deadline will be held for consideration in the next biennium. We will continue to purchase books received on our approval plan through the end of June, and will place orders for rush Reserve or Reference materials during this period.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Personal Files Managers Simplify Bibliography Preparation

Personal File Managers (PFM) are computer programs which are designed to manage citations retrieved from a variety of sources (e.g., MEDLINE® or personal reprint files) and then reformat those citations into the specific styles required for published bibliographies.

You can, for instance, download references from a MEDLINE® search into your Personal Files Manager, selecting only the specific fields from the MEDLINE® records that you wish to include in your database. If you have an ongoing interest in a subject, you can save your MEDLINE® strategy and run it monthly as MEDLINE® is updated to update your personal database in that field.

PFM software lets you create a personal database, annotate the entries with your own comments or keywords, and select specific citations to be included in a particular bibliography. Most PFM programs are compatible with or have "plug-in modules" that allow you to incorporate the citations into a word processing file with links to the PFM database. When changes are made to the original citation, the change is reflected in the bibliography as well. PFM software also allows you to indicate the publication style (e.g., APA) of the bibliography. To use a Personal Files Manager you will need

The Health Sciences Libraries supports three PFM programs: EndNote, ProCite and Reference Manager. All are available in both Macintosh and DOS format. All three support importing records from standard databases such as MEDLINE®, using companion "link" software (usually a separate purchase.) HSLIC's Personal Files Management Information Guide Series is designed to assist researchers in selecting the software appropriate for their needs. The series is available on HealthTracks. From the main UWIN menu, follow the path HealthTracks -> Library resources -> UW Health Sciences Libraries -> Information guides and bibliographies. Guides are available for all software mentioned above, as well as an overview to selection criteria and suggested reading. Also included is information on how to download records from a database such as MEDLINE® and incorporate them into your software without retyping the individual citations.

Many UW researchers routinely use PFM software in conjunction with MEDLINE® searches. Dr. Jesse Peters, Rehabilitation Medicine, states: "EndNote ... allows me to download references, abstract and all, directly into my own bibliographic file. If I am writing a paper in Microsoft Word (and using Endlink in addition to EndNote), a list of references is automatically produced at the end of the paper. I can create any reference format I like and if I change a reference in the text, the reference list is automatically changed as well. The downside is that, in order for the program to work in this way, ALL references to be included in the paper need to be entered into the program whether or not they were pulled from MEDLINE® This is minor, given that it is just as easy to enter a reference into the program as it is to add it to a reference list."

Dr. Nelson Fausto, Chair, Department of Pathology, concurs: "One of the most time consuming tasks in the preparation of papers for publication is compiling a relevant and up to date bibliography... Not too long ago it was possible at least in certain areas of biomedical research to keep a good reprint file with appropriate reference numbers for relatively easy access. This is no longer the case, and researchers have come to rely on programs such as EndNote in which complete references and abstracts can be maintained and easily retrieved.... A great improvement [is] the option of directly transferring MEDLINE® references directly into EndNote. This can be done through EndLink 2 and the files can be exported via Telnet for inclusion in EndNote. This is an extremely convenient system, efficient and fun to use. When I joined UW last Fall, Lisa Oberg worked out the steps needed for linking MEDLINE® and EndNote. Her work was so helpful and excellent that my search files from MEDLINE® are given the name "lisa" before exporting to Telnet."

Using PFM software can be a timesaver, but it does take time to learn; and it requires the coordination of several different steps to successfully construct a database search, download records, and successfully import those records into your citation management program. We can provide consultations on all these topics. If you need assistance, send an email message to hsl at u.washington.edu or call 543-3394. If you are already using a particular PFM program, please identify the program and also the platform, i.e. Mac, DOS or Windows.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Downloading References to Your Personal Files Manager

The key to success in downloading references from a UWIN database to your PFM software is to format the references properly by using the Options command in Wilco or selecting OPTIONS on the menu bar in WILLOW.

Wilco interface

Before beginning a Wilco search, change the display options to fit your personal or software requirements by selecting "O" for Options. You can change options after you have done a search, but will need to re-retrieve the documents after you change the display options.

F -
Record Format Length: The default format is LONG, which includes the full record. You may change this to SHORT if you wish.
L -
Record Field Labels: To download to PFM software, the default EXPANDED option must be changed to ABBREVIATED so the field labels are displayed as two letters, e.g. Title = TI.
S -
Save Method: Select your preferred option for transferring information. The default prompts you for the method to use each time you wish to save. You can select email, file transfer (FTP) to your local ethernetted computer, Kermit Capture or Text Capture (for dial-in users), or print and deliver through campus mail.
Y -
Print Method: Select the default print method for printing your citations to an attached or remote printer.

WILLOW interface

After doing a database search go to OPTIONS (on the Menu Bar at the top of the window) and select RECORD FORMAT. Click on the Abbreviate Field Labels option. Retrieve all of the citations you wish to import by holding down the control key [CTRL] and pointing and clicking to the citations you wish to save. Retrieve the citations in your preferred format, then click on the SAVE/MAIL button. Your options are to send the results to yourself via email or to FTP them to an ethernetted computer. Name the file or use the default "Willow Search Results."

[return to Table of Contents]

Connecting to Funding Information Online

How easily can a newcomer to the UW Health Sciences, whether faculty or staff member or postdoctoral scholar, begin monitoring research funding opportunities or locating essential grantsmanship information from a desktop computer? Using HealthTracks and HealthLinks, it actually takes just a few quick steps for a grantseeker to access major information resources.

From the main HealthTracks menu, select the category Grants and Funding. The resources here are particularly strong on federal funding information, though a recent addition is the American Heart Association's research program and application files. Two of the most important searchable resources are the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, a weekly newsletter of policies and opportunities from the National Institutes of Health, and CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on the Scientific Projects), which contains abstracts of research projects currently funded by the NIH and other Public Health Service entities.

Another resource to check is the DHHS's GrantsNet, a "hub for federal grants information" for agencies outside the NIH, which is being developed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Descriptions of the science and technology funding programs of the National Science Foundation are found on NSF's own information system, which also includes NSF publications. For the broadest overview of agencies and programs, try searching the annual Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

A source of announcements of government research funding program appropriations and availability is the daily Federal Register. Reach it by quitting HealthTracks and choosing Government Information from the UWIN menu. For federal contract opportunities, search the Commerce Business Daily.

HealthLinks, the UW Health Sciences Center's World Wide Web site, also offers the category Grants and Funding. Users without Mosaic or Netscape can reach it from the UWIN menu by choosing Internet Resources->Lynx to reach the UW Home Page, and then choosing UWLinks->HealthLinks->Reference->Grants and Funding. Resources currently available include the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts, the CRISP database, DHHS 's GrantsNet, and HPPC (High Performance Computing and Communications) Grants, with more links to be added as HealthLinks develops. The direct URL is /.

For more information on these and other funding-related resources on the Internet, contact the Research Funding Service in HSLIC room T-311 (phone 685-8036 or email rfs@u.washington.edu

[Return to Table of Contents]

Acting Social Work Librarian

Christine Beahler has been appointed Acting Head, Social Work Library. In addition to her M.L.S. degree from the University of Washington, Chris holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology. She has been Health Information for You (HIFY) librarian at HSLIC since October 1994.

[Return to Table of Contents]

Serial Title Changes, January - March 1995

Newly received titles:

Title changes:

[return to Table of Contents]

Recent Gifts

Acknowledgment and appreciation are extended to the following individuals and organizations who have recently made contributions to the HSLIC collections:

and the following UW departments:

[Return to Table of Contents]