gam@amdahl.UUCP (gam) (03/03/85)
Knowledge Index is a "retail" (end-users) on-line database system
available for $24/hr (connect time). They have four sets of databases
on medicine:
MEDLINE - produced by the US National Library of Medicine
(abstracts of medical journal articles)
International Pharmaceutical Abstracts
Biosys Previews (biological and biomedical research)
Drug Information Fulltext (from American Hospital Formulary
Service (AHFS) and the Handbook on Injectable
Drugs).
It is probably that even rare diseases are covered here.
I have used KI off and on for about three years. It takes about
20-30 minutes to do a good scan of the relevant databases (~$10), but
it is a fantastically quick way of scanning an entire library
of information.
The customer support has been very good also. In addition to
phone support, they have a quarterly newsletter and have expanded
the number of databases significantly since it first went "public"
(KI is operated by Dialog Info Services, the corporate-user version).
KI can be reached at:
3460 Hillview Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(800) 227-5510
(415) 858-3796 (in CA)
I believe there is a one-time $35 registration fee. There is no
periodic or minimum charge, so you only pay for the time you are
actually connected.
Obviously, I recommend it highly (I am an info-freak). I'd be
interested in hearing about other database services (such as BRS)
--
Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gamdthk@mhuxd.UUCP (D. T. Hawkins) (03/05/85)
There is a lot of information on online databases available--far too much to cover in a short note on the net. I suggest you look at copies of Online or Database magazines, or Online Review, which are the major journals in the field. In addition, I publish a bibliography on the subject which appears in the June issue of Online Review each year. A concatenated version of all the previous issues was published by Learned Information, 143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055 (the publishers of Online Review). There are also several conferences covering online information each year. The next is the National Online Meeting, to be held in New York 4/30-5/2. Online-85 will also be in NY this year in early November. There is also an annual conference in London each December. There are several textbooks available as well. To locate the disease database you want, look in one of the several database directories available (a large library should have them). Two of the best directories are published by Cuadra Associates and Knowledge Industry Publications, Inc. As you suggest, the online field is rapidly growing, as it has during the past 12 years. It's an exciting field! Don Hawkins AT&T-BL Murray Hill (201)-582-6517 ihnp4!mhuxd!dthk