OSLER marks first birthday with contest

CMAJ 1999;160:873

© 1999 Canadian Medical Association

From keyboards at home and work, and in rural hamlets and major cities, Canada's doctors have been using OSLER to delve into MEDLINE, AIDSLINE, CancerLit and HealthSTAR. For many users OSLER marked their first foray into the Internet and the realization that they can retrieve current bibliographic references in moments.

They must like the service, because registrants have been remarkably busy. In our first year, OSLER users have signed on and completed 18 735 literature searches. The average search took 25 minutes; users focused primarily on MEDLINE, although HealthSTAR has also received a lot of visits. The total number of bibliographic records downloaded reached an astonishing 164 569.

These numbers don't include the steady traffic at the OSLER Support Desk in the CMA's Library in Ottawa. Requests arrive daily from users who need help with technical problems or advice on how best to exploit the considerable capabilities of the CMA's Ovid search interface.

Your support service

Apologies to all callers who encounter voicemail after dialling 800 663-7336 x2255, in search of help. This happens because telephone sessions with new MEDLINE users can be lengthy. However, we do return calls promptly. Simply leave a message that includes your area code as well as your phone number; leaving your Username (your CMA membership number) will speed things up, particularly if your problem involves a registration glitch or a forgotten password. Indicate when and where you prefer to be called, and if you want a response by email, include your full email address. You can also send fax messages to 613 731-2076.

If your request is for help with a MEDLINE search, which will be forwarded by email, provide all pertinent details. Do you need a comprehensive survey or simply a few recent reviews? Current literature only? Is patient age significant? English articles only? How urgent is the request? If your topic concerns something rare, controversial or very recent, are letters to journal editors useful? If the topic is elusive, do you have a reference to share? How easy is it for you to obtain journal articles locally once you receive your literature search? (When you send requests by email, mentioning your geographic location can be helpful because email addresses provide few clues.)

Our first annual OSLER contest!

Now that we have a significant number of seasoned searchers, we're throwing out a searching challenge. Here are the details.

Only 1 article in the entire MEDLINE database was written about 2 famous physicians, Sir William Osler and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What is the Unique Identifier number assigned to this article?

A draw from all correct answers will be held Apr. 30, 1999. The prize is Ted Grant's superbly illustrated book, This is Our Work: the Legacy of Sir William Osler, a $100 value. Not only will the winner get the book, which has been donated by CMA Publications, but he or she will also be lauded in a subsequent issue. Since the answer will be found within a MEDLINE reference, send the complete reference, including author, title, journal name, volume, issue number and date. Please remember to supply your own name, telephone number and, most important, your OSLER Username. Send your answer to cmalibrary@sympatico.ca.

For any CMA members who are not yet signed up for free and unlimited MEDLINE searching through OSLER, call 800 663-7336 x2255, for information. — Deidre Green, OSLER support librarian

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