- The
Photochemistry/Photobiology Database Alerting System (DBAS)
-
- 1.
Introducing the DBAS
-
The
Photochemistry/Photobiology Database is updated monthly. Users may
wish to follow these updates regularly without having to perform a
search every time. The DBAS provides this service by automatic
monthly e-mailing of the literature matching search profiles which
have previously been defined by the user.
-
The DBAS uses the same
search window as the Database itself. Search profiles may
accordingly be defined for keywords, authors, journals, or
combinations thereof. Details concerning the definition of search
profiles are provided below (Section 3).
-
- 2.
Subscribing to the DBAS
-
If you wish to subscribe
to the DBAS, click »New subscription« on the main
database window. You will be asked to enter your personal
identification. Please note that name, address, as well as phone and
fax numbers are optional and are only used for communication between
user and database administration. On the other hand, e-mail address,
nickname and password are compulsory. After completing the form,
click »subscribe«. The subscription is then communicated
to the administrator who will activate it (this will usually be
quick, but may take up to a 2-3 weeks in case of a leave of
absence). Activation will be confirmed by an e-mail message.
-
Upon activation, search
profiles can be defined and tested by clicking »Profile
management«. The profile management window shows all
previously defined profiles. You can define a new one by activating
»new profile« and clicking »edit« or modify
an existing one by activating it and clicking »edit«.
Using the search window you can then define a search profile by
entering the required terms and test it by clicking »test«.
The test will give you the result of a search carried out on the
last monthly update of the database. You can try out modifications
of your search profile by changing terms. If you are satisfied with
the profile, click »create«. The search profile is then
stored and the corresponding search results will from then on be
sent monthly to your e-mail address as an HTML file. Use your
browser to view it correctly.
-
In its basic form, the
search result shows authors, title and reference of every hit.
Additionally, the corresponding author`s affiliation (including
his/her e-mail address, if available) and the list of keyword
entries will be shown if the corresponding fields have been ticked.
-
Each
subscriber may define up to ten different profiles.
-
If you want to modify
your subscription (e.g. in case of a change of e-mail address) click
»modify« on the main database window.
-
- 3.
Defining a search profile
-
The
standard way of doing searches is by means of keywords, linked by
AND or OR (as described in »Usage« on the main window).
As you may already be familiar with from using the
Photochemistry/Photobiology Database, a keyword is a string of
characters appearing in the title of the article or in the keyword
line of the database entry. Accordingly, there are basically three
types of keywords:
-
-
any word, or part of a word, appearing in the title or added as a
keyword (an example: »porph« will be a suitable
searching term for literature on porphines or porphyrins);
-
-
any number code defining a field or subfield as listed in the
»hierarchical code system« (downloadable from the main
window);
-
- any acronym for an
experimental technique (the list being downloadable too).
-
Up
to three of these keywords can be linked using AND or OR in the
keyword field of the search window. The number of possible
combinations is obviously huge; some testing effort is therefore
advised in order to define a successful search profile. Broad as
well as narrow search profiles may be defined. There is, however, an
upper limit of 150 hits to every profile. If the search exceeds this
limit, the user will be notified and asked to narrow the profile.
This might occasionally happen with a broadly defined profile; it is
therefore suggested not to submit profiles which exceed 100 hits
when tested.
-
To
give an example, performing a search for the keyword »07.«
from the code list (= »excited states and spectroscopy«)
gives 351 hits in a search performed on the june 2, 99 update. A
refined search combining »07.« with »FSP«
(from the list of acronyms; = fluorescence spectroscopy) still gives
115 hits. This combination would probably remain below the limit in
other monthly updates, too; but remember that you will get a long
e-mail and have to browse through all the entries! Therefore, try to
specify your search profiles as much as possible according to your
needs.