Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : January/February 2001

NLM Restructuring of Databases

This notice is to remind NLM database users that the National Library of Medicine (NLM) made the decision last year to convert their databases from a thematic basis (articles related by a common theme, such as human medicine, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or health administration) to a publication type basis (journal citations vs. non-journal citations). This change began with the first update expected in February 2001.

The impact on all NLM database users is that the independent databases — AIDSLINE®, TOXLINE®, HealthSTAR, and BIOETHICSLINE — will no longer be updated. Journal citation records which previously would have been added to these databases will now be added to the MEDLINE® file.

If you held Alerts in the now closed specialty files, you have been informed that your Alerts profiles were automatically transferred into MEDLINE. Please monitor the results of the affected Alerts to determine if the Alert strategies require modification as a result of the database change. Contact your Dialog representative or local Help Desk for assistance if needed.

At Dialog, we are currently evaluating additional ways in which we can assist our Dialog and DataStar customers with this transition. We may be able to provide an independent toxicology database, similar to TOXLINE, late in 2001. With regard to the NLM non-journal citations (such as monographs and book chapters), we would welcome feedback from our customers as to whether a standalone database of this material would be useful , Knowledge Center (800-3DIALOG), or your local Help Desk).

Watch for further news in future issues of the Chronolog and in the online news messages and file banners on Dialog and DataStar. Please do not hesitate to contact your nearest Knowledge Center Help Desk with questions you have on the above issues.

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