Visit NIH and learn how to use NLM research, tools
AHCJ has teamed up with the National Library of Medicine to present the AHCJ-NLM Health Journalism Fellowships. Four journalists will spend a week on the campus of the National Institutes of Health. The selected journalists will:
- Learn how to explore the latest NIH research
- Learn to understand and interpret biomedical statistics
- Take advantage of NLM’s data, programs and resources for stronger stories
- Get hands-on training in PubMed, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, ToxNet and Household Products Database
The fellowship includes membership, travel expenses, lodging and stipend.
Apply online or download a PDF application. Deadline: Aug. 22.
Hirsh files from ‘health journalist heaven’
Filed under: Health journalism, Member news, Public records, Tools
For the past few days, Consumer Reports‘ Jamie Hirsh has been filing dispatches from what she calls “health journalist heaven,” otherwise known as the National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Md. She and five other health reporters were there on an AHCJ-NLM Health Journalism Fellowship.
The National Library of Medicine in Bethesda, Md. Photo by rex libris via FlickrNot only is it the largest medical library in the world, Hirsh writes, it’s also relatively immune to nuclear attack, courtesy of an underground vault. Also, thanks to exhaustive databases of both research and clinical trials, it’s also a spectacular resource for health journalists.
Third-party PubMed video tutorials in plain English
PubMed’s fantastic, but it can also be mighty frustrating. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine, it’s the interface through which folks can search or browse their way through NIH’s vast repository of health-related research articles.
Unfortunately, it’s also not quite like the user-friendly search engines most of us have come to know and love. That’s where third-party tutorials come in.
If you’re looking for a strong distillation of the basics, head straight for AHCJ’s tip sheet. If you prefer more technical info and less hands-on guidance, see Wikipedia. But if you’re looking for an in-depth, easy-to-follow introduction broken into easily digestible chunks, head for this nine-part video tutorial created by an Indiana University medical librarian.
She uses accessible language, analogies and well-paced demonstrations to peel back the layers of the labyrinth and help viewers understand the purpose and relevant applications of the interface’s features. Here’s the first installment:
Note that on Screenjelly webcasts, such as this one, you can click on the “full-screen” icon in the bottom-right corner of the player. Screenjelly looks much better in the full-screen mode than most players.
41 additional journals make the Medline cut
Looking for the latest edition of Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal, the Journal of Patient Safety or the Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology, the official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association? You’re in luck! They are among 41 publications to recently be accepted by the National Library of Medicine for inclusion in the Medline database.
Three times a year, the National Library of Medicine’s Literature Selection Technical Review Committee meets to review Medline’s roster of about 5,000 journals. At each meeting, the committee considers about 140 new journals, evaluating each based on their scientific merit and upon where they fit in the NLM’s ideal literature mix. To be included, journals need to produce high-quality, medical-related content with high editorial and production standards. It also helps if the abstracts, at least, are in English.
Related
AHCJ Tip sheet: Mining NLM databases: PubMed, Medline and more
First class of AHCJ-NLM fellows announced
Six journalists have been named fellows in the program, created this year to increase reporters’ access and understanding of the considerable resources available at the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
The journalists chosen to take part this year are:
- John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Lynya Floyd, Essence Magazine
- Jeff Hansel, Rochester, Minn. Post-Bulletin
- Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star
- Douglas Podolsky, Consumer Reports
- Heidi Splete, Global Medical News Network
The weeklong visit to the NIH campus, set for Sept. 13-17, will allow hands-on workshops about how to use and get the most from several government research databases, such as PubMed, MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov and ToxNet. Fellows also will meet with senior NLM and NIH researchers and officials for exclusive informational sessions.
The fellows were selected from dozens of qualified applicants, which points to the need for these kinds of training opportunities, said AHCJ Executive Director Len Bruzzese. “We hope to continue working with the National Library of Medicine to offer this training regularly,” he said.
“The bonus will be more and better stories.”
AHCJ is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. With more than 1,100 members, its mission is to improve the quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing. The association and its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism are based at the Missouri School of Journalism.
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Join us in Atlanta
for Health Journalism 2012
Fellowship applications
due Feb. 27
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