There are a growing number of publications seeking to offer pointers to key research findings, of which perhaps Bandolier and Evidence-Based Medicine are two well known names. Thus we will retain an emphasis on providing pointers to useful material particularly pertaining to effectiveness and cost effectiveness, but it will be drawn from a more limited field. We have already mounted DEC reports on the Internet and have been encouraged by how many people have managed to find it. This is the first version of the new format and we hope you find this new emphasis welcome. There will certainly be no shortage of interesting material to include.
Comments are of course extremely welcome.
The other databases in the Library have also been updated. The software has improved as well. More importantly, the search system has been greatly improved, and a new system for submitting comments and criticisms has been introduced. The search system now includes phrase searching, field searching, searching using the MeSH thesaurus, and facilities for saving and loading search strategies. The comments and criticisms system allows for comments to be sent either by regular post or over the Internet.