SciENcv for NIH Biosketches: the Basics for Investigators and Delegates

SciENcv is NCBI’s new online tool for generating biosketches for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Unlike previous versions of the biosketch, now only the investigator writes key elements of the biosketch, such as personal statements and contributions, as they must be tailored to each grant application. However, a delegate can manage many other details and produce a biosketch formatted to the new NIH specifications.

My Bibliography is a critical component of the biosketch creation process. There is currently no other automated, reliable method to enter publications into a new biosketch: thus every investigator’s My Bibliography must be updated before beginning the biosketch process. Too busy? Add a trusted delegate to your team to manage both My Bibliography and SciENcv.

To add a delegate, login to your My NCBI account, and then click on your username to access Account Settings. Scroll down to Delegates and click on Add a Delegate. Add the delegate’s e-mail address and then click on OK. The delegate will quickly receive a confirmation e-mail message from NIH. (If the message is not there, check the e-mail service’s spam filter.) The delegate must click on the “acceptance link” within the message to activate access.

Confirmation in Delegate’s My NCBI Account
Confirmation in Delegate’s My NCBI Account

A confirmation message will appear in the delegate’s My NCBI account. Click on Confirm Connection.

Where can the delegate find and manage the investigator’s My Bibliography and SciENcv? In their My NCBI account, they should look for the Collections portal—this is where My Bibliography for other investigators will appear. Each will be named “My Bibliography – [Last Name Investigator].” Click on that link for full management access. In the SciENcv section, links to investigators’ SciENcv biosketches will be listed. Include the investigator name in biosketch filenames to help maintain order.

For more information, email Andrea Ketchum or visit the SciENcv LibGuide.

~Andrea Ketchum

Director’s Reflections…Welcome to All New and Returning Students and Faculty!

Barbara Epstein HSLS Director bepstein@pitt.edu
Barbara Epstein
HSLS Director
bepstein@pitt.edu

The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS), located in Falk Library on the second and mezzanine floors of Scaife Hall, offers premier services and a comprehensive collection of information resources. The vast majority of our books and journals are available to you electronically at any time, wherever you are. Use your computer or mobile device to do a literature search, read an article, or borrow an electronic book. If we don’t have what you’re looking for, request it through document delivery (now there’s no fee!).

Falk Library has casual seating, group rooms for collaboration, and quiet study areas with newly-reupholstered comfortable chairs. Pull over a traveling whiteboard to diagram your next project. Continue reading

Is Access to CINAHL Necessary for Allied Health Scholarship?

A robust core journal collection that meets the needs of the allied health sciences is crucial to a functioning health sciences library. Allied health professionals require literature to support evidence-based practice, curricula, and licensure activities.1 A previous analysis between CINAHL, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and MEDLINE concluded that the number of unique nursing titles indexed in CINAHL but not covered in MEDLINE was small.2,3 Hill’s 2009 study focused on the coverage of nursing and allied health subjects in CINAHL and Scopus and concluded that while there was significant overlap, there was not enough evidence to determine that CINAHL coverage is redundant. We compared the current allied health journal coverage in CINAHL with that of Scopus to determine the number and types of journals available exclusively through CINAHL. Continue reading

Delve into the World of Genes, Genomes, & Microbes with InfoBoosters

In conjunction with the National Library of Medicine exhibit, From DNA to Beer, the HSLS Molecular Biology Information Service (MBIS) is presenting a special hands-on workshop profiling a recently developed Web-based tool that harnesses Internet technology to improve online searching and information retrieval.

As life sciences research becomes more interdisciplinary, the scientific papers we read increasingly include genes, proteins, microbes, methodologies, and biological concepts outside of our domain of expertise. It is necessary to learn more about these lesser-known terms to thoroughly comprehend such articles. Information is readily available in various molecular databases, but they are scattered throughout the Internet and can be challenging to locate. It would be immensely useful and time-saving to directly link online articles to these databases, thereby allowing readers to promptly gather information while actively reading articles.

To fulfill this unmet need, the Health Sciences Library System developed “InfoBoosters”—an easy to install Web browser widget that connects digital texts to databases and retrieves relevant information on demand. As an example, upon selecting a term for a gene/disease/drug/microbial organism and then clicking on the installed InfoBoosters button, pop-up windows appear with pertinent information retrieved from NCBI databases (Entrez Gene, PubMed, MedlinePlus, TOXNET, etc.) and Wikipedia. Application of this powerful tool will provide readers with revealing information not directly described in the text and potentially foster the creation of new hypotheses.

This workshop introduces attendees to InfoBoosters, shows how to create unique InfoBoosters, and covers various applications of this new tool.

What: “Delve into the World of Genes, Genomes, & Microbes with InfoBoosters”

Who: Ansuman Chattopadhyay, PhD, Head of MBIS

When: Monday, September 21, 1–3 p.m.

Where: Falk Library, Classroom 2

~Carrie Iwema

HSLS’ Regional Medical Library Provides Outreach to Veterans

HSLS serves at the Regional Medical Library (RML) for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NN/LM MAR). As one of eight RMLs in the country, we work under a five-year, federal contract with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to support their efforts to advance the progress of medicine and improve public health by providing U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving individual access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health.

vfw 3One of the ways we accomplish this is by exhibiting at national, regional, and state meetings of health professionals, public health workers, library associations, and organizations that represent consumers. NN/LM MAR librarian coordinators provide information about biomedical and health information products produced by NLM and available online at no cost.

In the past year, NN/LM MAR staff introduced NLM resources to nearly 3,000 professionals throughout our four-state region of Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania by exhibiting and offering continuing education programs at 39 meetings or conferences. Many of the attendees provide services to minority, immigrant, rural, and underserved communities without access to library services and in need of quality, evidence-based resources for clinical decision making and patient education.

Most recently, NN/LM MAR exhibited at the 116th National Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Conference, a five-day event held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. In addition to conversing with VFW and Ladies Auxiliary members from all over the world while staffing the exhibit table, NN/LM MAR offered a health information workshop twice each day titled, “Combatting Information Fatigue: Health Information Resources for Veterans.”

vfw 2

Soldiers, veterans, and military families are a priority outreach group for NN/LM MAR. We have partnered with groups such as the Veterans Mental Health Coalitions, Delaware Military Community Partners, VA health system, as well as various social service agencies and public, academic, and hospital libraries to provide health information education and programming to this important population. We are in the process of forming a regional working group to promote NLM resources and encourage health information programs that connect libraries with organizations providing services to soldiers, veterans, and their families.

If you are interested in learning more about NLM resources for soldiers, veterans, and their families, or if you know of organizations that would benefit from education on such resources, contact us at nnlmmar@pitt.edu.

~Renae Barger, Executive Director, NN/LM, Middle Atlantic Region

Note to Self: Set Up Tasks in Microsoft Outlook

Your to-do lists take many forms, from sticky notes to e-mailing reminders to yourself. If you already use Microsoft Outlook for e-mail and calendars, you can also access your to-do list in the same place.

In Outlook, items on your to-do list are called Tasks. Tasks have their own tab in Microsoft Outlook 2013 for the desktop.

TasksTab

You can also add a To-Do Bar to your e-mail tab. This helps you to see your tasks and calendar at the same time you’re reading your e-mail—a perfect way to streamline all three functions on one screen.

ToDoBar

If you want to make a note to yourself to do something, use the “Type a new task” box. It will automatically be added to the current day’s to-do list. You can edit the task to change the due date, set up an alarm, and add notes. Tasks can be repeated daily or weekly if you want to set up a reoccurring reminder. When you have finished a task, you can “Mark Complete” to cross it off your list.

Meeting window

E-mails can also become tasks. Adding a flag to an e-mail, by default, adds that e-mail to today’s to-do list. Just like other tasks, you can double-click to edit the task. If someone e-mails you to send in a report by next Friday, you can flag the e-mail and set the due date. When next Friday comes along, you will see the e-mail listed in today’s to-do list. At this point, that e-mail may be buried deep in your inbox, but you can quickly pull it up by double-clicking the task from your to-do bar.

Tasks sync to the Microsoft Exchange server, which means they are accessible from your desktop, my.pitt.edu, and compatible smartphones and tablets. Now it is easier than ever for your to-do list to travel with you!

~Julia Dahm

Classes September 2015

HSLS offers classes on database searching, software applications such as Prezi, bibliographic management, molecular biology and genetics, and library orientations. For more information, visit the online course descriptions.

Classes are held on the first floor of Falk Library (200 Scaife Hall) in Classroom 1 and on the upper floor of the library in Classroom 2. All classes are open to faculty, staff, and students of the schools of the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, who will need a valid Pitt ID or e-mail account. They are also open to UPMC residents and fellows, who will need to show their UPMC IDs.

No registration is required, except where noted. Classes marked with an asterisk (*) qualify for American Medical Association Category 2 continuing education credit.

Class schedules are subject to change. Please consult the online class calendar for the most current information.

FlashClass

FlashClass is a “deal of the week” Groupon-like offer of timely and useful learning. Each week’s offer proposes one or two topics, and you’re invited to sign up to attend a one-hour class the following week. If at least three people sign up, we’ll hold the class. (We’ll notify you either way.)

HSLS CLASSES

Advanced PowerPoint for Presentations (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Tuesday, September 22 1:30-3:30 p.m.

EndNote Basics (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, September 16 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Painless PubMed* (Falk Library Classroom 1)

Thursday, September 3 9-10 a.m.
Friday, September 11 Noon-1 p.m.
Thursday, September 17 4-5 p.m.
Monday, September 21 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 29 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Prezi for Presentations (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Thursday, September 10 9:30-11:30 a.m.

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS RESOURCES

Delve into the World of Geners, Genomes, & Microbes with InfoBoosters (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Monday, September 21 1-3 p.m.

Literature Mining: InfoBoosters, Molecular Databases, & F1000Workspace* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, September 9 1-3 p.m.

Genome Navigation: UCSC Genome Browser* (Falk Library Classroom 2)

Wednesday, September 30 1-3 p.m.

CUSTOMIZED CLASSES

Customized classes can be developed for your department, course, or other group.