FAQs about Finding Information You Need
How do I find a list of articles on a particular
topic or by a certain author?
To find a list of articles on a particular topic, try searching a bibliographic
database such as MEDLINE /PubMed.
Bibliographic databases can be searched many ways, including author, keyword, and Medical
Subject Headings. MEDLINE is a great place to start, but the Library has online
bibliographic databases specific to many disciplines, including Aging (AGELINE),
Alternative Medicine (AMED and Mantis), Behavioral Sciences (PsycINFO), Chemistry
(SciFinder Scholar) and Nursing (CINAHL). The list of databases is available on the Electronic Resources page.
My list of article citations contains abbreviations
for the journal titles. How can I find the full name of the journals?
If the citations come from MEDLINE, the Journal Browser feature of PubMed
can help you. Simply type in the abbreviation from your list. The results will contain
the full title which you can then use to search the Library's catalog, Tri-Cat. Please note: Always use the full title of
the journal when searching Tri-Cat. If you search the catalog for a journal title
abbreviation, many times the only entry that will come up is one at Rockefeller's
Library.
How can I get a copy of a scale, test or
questionnaire I need to use in my research?
There are a number of Library resources you can use to search for this type of
information. In addition to information about obtaining tests, it is also possible to
find summaries of a test, articles about a test, and sometimes the test itself reprinted
in other publications. The American Psychological Association's
FAQ/Finding Information About Psychological Tests may also be useful.
- A. Search PsycINFO from the
Library's Electronic Resources page.
- B. Search the index of the Mental Measurements Yearbook (REF BF 431 M539), Tests in
Print (REF Z 5814.E9 T342), Van Riezen, Comparative evaluation of rating scales in
clinical psychopharmacology (REF WM 141 V217c 1988), Spreen, A compendium of
neuropsychological tests (REF WL 141 S768c 1998).
- C. Search MEDLINE or CINAHL by subject or name of test/rating scale etc.
- D. Search the Health and
Psychosocial Instruments (HAPI) database. If you need assistance with HAPI, please
contact the Information Desk (212) 746-6055 or infodesk@med.cornell.edu.
How can I find the complete citation for a book
chapter, conference proceedings or meeting abstracts?
The Library has compiled a list of web sites and
databases that you can search for book chapters, meeting abstracts and proceedings
information. If you need assistance, contact the Information Desk at (212) 746-6055 or infodesk@med.cornell.edu.
How can I find an article from a recent issue of the
New York Times?
The Circulation Desk keeps the most recent week of the NYT. The older issues are kept
for two months at the Circulation Desk. Full-text articles (without images) can be
obtained using Lexis-Nexis® which
is available through the Cornell Library Gateway.
How can I find scientific images for my projects and
presentations?
The Library has compiled a guide to Finding Images on the Web or in
Print. Many sites allow free use of the images for teaching and educational purposes,
but you should always read the terms of use. Each site should list its own terms and
conditions for use of the images.
How do I get a Weill Cornell Medical
College/Graduate School dissertation?
Full-text PDF dissertations from the past few years may be accessible from Dissertations
& Theses @ Cornell University and the Weill Cornell Medical College & Graduate
School, a collection of dissertations from ProQuest. Dissertations that are not
available in this online resource are held in the Medical Center Archives; you can contact them
at (212) 746-6072 or via e-mail at email-archives@med.cornell.edu.
How do I find the Impact Factor of a journal? Is
there a way to find this information online?
Impact factors are published in a resource called Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The
JCR is a unique tool for journal evaluation using citation data drawn from over 8,400
journals in science, technology, and social sciences from more than 3,000 publishers
worldwide. Access the JCR online for data from the last two years using the Electronic Resources page
or directly. For data from
previous years, use the printed JCR at the Information Desk. The JCR can show you the
highest impact journals; most frequently used journals; hottest journals; largest
journals. The journal impact factor is a measure of the frequency with which the "average
article" in a journal has been cited in a particular year. The impact factor helps
evaluate a journal's relative importance, especially compared to others in the same
field. The impact factor is calculated by dividing the number of current citations to
articles published in the two previous years by the total number of articles published in
the two previous years.
How can I get a copy of the Cornell Medical
Index?
The Cornell Medical Index (CMI) is out-of-print and no longer available. If you have
further questions concerning the CMI, please consult A Brief History
of Cornell Medical Index, or the Archives at email-archives@med.cornell.edu.
I have a veterinary medicine question--can you help
with questions about animal treatment?
The WCMC Library does have access to some databases with veterinary medicine
information, however the main veterinary collection is at the Flower-Sprecher Veterinary
Library in Ithaca--visit its website at http://www.vet.cornell.edu/library/.
One free resource that you could search for the online medical and veterinary literature
is MEDLINE/PubMed from the National Library of Medicine -- http://www.pubmed.gov/. This database includes humans and
animals, so be sure to specify the animal species in your search.
If you are not affiliated with Cornell, the Flower-Sprecher Veterinary Library at
Cornell University in Ithaca has a fee-based information and document delivery service
for pet owners, veterinarians and others called "VetAccess." Information about specific
services and costs is available on the VetAccess website.
How can I subscribe to Food & Fitness
Advisor or Women's Health Advisor?
The Weill Medical College is responsible for the content of Food & Fitness
Advisor and Women's Health Advisor, but does not handle the subscriptions.
Contact the distributors at:
Food & Fitness Advisor
P.O. Box 420235
Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235
Email: Foodandfit@palmcoastd.com
1-800-829-2505
Women's Health Advisor
P.O. Box 420235
Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235
Email: whadvisor@palmcoastd.com
1-800-847-7131
Last Updated: July 2, 2008
