CD-ROM
AIDS Compact Library 19961997
CMAJ 1997;156:696
Edited by Deborah Cotton. Appleton & Lange New Media; Electronic Press Ltd., Cambridge, Mass. 1995. Price not stated. ISBN 0-8385-0296-2
| Overall rating: |
Good |
| Strengths: |
User-friendly interface; commonly used search strategies; complete online help database |
| Weaknesses: |
None, apart from those of any simple reference CD-ROM |
| Audience: |
Clinicians and researchers working in the area of AIDS; any health care professional seeking up-to-date information on AIDS |
| System requirements: |
DOS version: 386 MHz processor, 3 MB free hard drive space, 2 MB RAM (4 MB recommended), CD-ROM drive, MS-DOS version 3.3, VGA monitor; Windows 3.1 version: same as DOS version, except 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended); Macintosh version: Macintosh LC, 3 MB hard drive space, 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended), CD-ROM drive, System 7, 12" or larger colour monitor |
This medical reference CD-ROM contains an extensive collection of information on almost all aspects of AIDS. There is a huge database of citations from various well-known medical journals, categorized by their source and the nature of the research.
If you are familiar with performing literature searches, then you are no stranger to the interface of this CD-ROM. As a reference library, it contains most of the tools needed to retrieve information by either key words or concepts related to key words. The search strategies are best described as a simplified version of complex commercial engines such as MEDLINE, and their use is well described in the manual.
Results of the search can be loosely associated with the requested key word by using a fuzzy-logic option or closely linked by using a relational option; a dictionary and thesaurus are also provided to assist the user. While viewing the results, the user may highlight any portion of the text, cut it and paste it to the search window to provide a faster search.
Full text of many articles are also available right on the CD-ROM. The user may bookmark important positions in the database or print out any portion of an article for reference. During each session, the program also produces a history of all of the searches and results, which can be saved or printed. The user can also make notes in the blank margins at his or her convenience.
The interface of the Windows 3.1 version is very user-friendly, with all controls accessible through the mouse whenever possible. The user's manual is very small and simple, but this is compensated for by a rich online help database. This help file has much the same interface as the AIDS database. The display is standard, clear and well organized.
The technical support is readily accessible and friendly. If necessary, technical-support staff will walk you through the problem step by step. Unfortunately, in this age of the Internet, the publisher, Appleton & Lange, does not offer Internet support, nor does its computer technical support service, Electronic Press. The CD-ROM is updated quarterly. The package comes with 4 free future updates; however, the cost of subsequent updates is not mentioned in the package.
This CD-ROM contains several volumes' worth of AIDS-related texts, transformed into an electronic version and supplemented with tools to facilitate their retrieval. The AIDS Compact Library is a very good reference in a medical CD-ROM library, and I would recommend it to any researcher or clinician working in the area of AIDS as a concentrated and up-to-date source of information.
Stephen Lai, MD
Scarborough, Ont.
 |
Send a letter to the editor responding to this article
Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction au sujet de cet article |
Books and other media