February/March 2004 (Volume XI, No. 3)
Published: February 9, 2004 (Revised November 2004)
Rather than put a trademark symbol at every occurrence of trademark names, we state that we are using the names only in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringements of the trademark.
Academic Computing Services offers research support
Academic Computing Services (ACS) provides not only professional research consulting and programming in statistical analysis and database management, but instruction in scientific computing to faculty, staff and students of the UT Southwestern Medical Center and its affiliated institutions (Parkland Health & Hospital System, Children’s Medical Center at Dallas, Zale Lipshy University Hospital and St. Paul University Hospital).
Joan Reisch, Ph.D., ACS director, has been at UT Southwestern for more than 30 years and has spent most of that time helping researchers design, implement and report the results of scientific experiments. With her expertise in medical research as a guiding force, the department is able to offer several types of consulting services:
Expertise for the design and analysis of simple to complex research studies, which could include the following tasks: selecting an appropriate design, determining and justifying a sample size, formulating hypotheses, selecting appropriate statistical analysis techniques and creating presentation graphics. Consultants can also assist in preparing grant proposals as well as preparing manuscripts for publication and are involved in more than 200 research projects each year, ranging from one-time consultations to multi-year clinical trials.
Data management projects. These include determining the best data management approach for a project, selecting an appropriate computer platform, designing a database, custom programming for data entry, development of reporting procedures, and retrieving information for subsequent statistical analysis. Database programmers also can provide Web-enabled programs that allow management of data across the Internet.
Short courses on statistical and computing topics to meet campus educational and research needs.
For more information about ACS services, visit the Web site at http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/home/educ/CBSCS/. ACS provides its services on a fee basis. Call 214-648-3691 to schedule an appointment with a consultant.
Access the Internet with the campus wireless network
Go wireless with your PC laptop. Using UT Southwestern's wireless network, your connection to the Internet is no longer limited to just Ethernet, which means wireless network-enabled laptops can access the Internet from a number of select locations on campus, including anywhere within the UT Southwestern libraries without plugging in the ubiquitous blue cable.
Users with laptops that have a wireless network interface card (NIC) have the capability to access the wireless network using Virtual Private Networking (VPN) software. VPN must be installed on the laptop since access to the wireless network is restricted to UT Southwestern faculty, staff, students, residents and fellows.
The UT Southwestern library has developed a new handout – Internet and Wireless Connections for Personal Laptops and PDAs – that supplies details on obtaining the VPN software, logging into the wireless network and configuring your computer and Internet browser to correctly access the campus’s proxy settings.
For laptops without a wireless NIC, the library has several available for checkout to UT Southwestern affiliates only. The Cisco Aironet 350 Series Wireless LAN adapters may be checked out for 30 days at a time, and up to four renewals are permitted. Instructions for installing the NICs are provided.
For more information, call the Information Desk at 214-648-2001 (south campus) or 214-648-7401 (north campus).
Bad references got you stumped?
Are you publishing an article with a long list of reference citations that need to be verified before going to press? Perhaps a colleague has given you a reference that you are unable to find. The UT Southwestern library offers various methods to make certain that the cited references in an article are correct.
For a do-it-yourself approach, try PubMed’s Single Citation Matcher at http://pubmed.gov under “PubMed Services.” This Web form allows a user to enter as much or as little information as you would like to help locate an exact reference. Searches can be by journal title, publication date, volume, issue or page number, author’s last name and initials, or keywords in the article title.
As an alternative, the library has several citation specialist investigators who can track down obscure, partial or inaccurate citations in books, conferences, proceedings, journals, etc. The service is free for UT Southwestern faculty, staff, students, fellows and residents as well as staff of affiliated institutions (Parkland Health & Hospital System, Children's Medical Center at Dallas, Zale Lipshy University Hospital and St. Paul University Hospital). Turn-around time will vary on a case-by-case basis.
To have a citation verified, complete the Web-based “Ask a Reference Question” form at http://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/library/reference/referenceRequest.cfm. You may also contact Therona Ramos at 214-648-5073.
Library user-satisfaction survey to be given in April
UT Southwestern faculty, staff, students, residents and fellows will be invited via e-mail to complete a Web-based survey in April as part of the 2004 LibQUAL+ project. The survey measures user perceptions and expectations of library service quality and was developed and is sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in collaboration with researchers at Texas A&M University. It is part of the ARL’s “New Measures Initiative,” which seeks to identify more meaningful measures that reflect the impact of libraries in the digital age and allow benchmarking of best practices.
Previous evaluation methods were limited to the total number of book and journal holdings, the number of reference questions answered and materials borrowed, and gate counts.
Currently, 209 academic institutions – including 13 academic health science institutions – have registered to administer the survey in 2004. In 2003, approximately 130,000 users from 308 institutions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands completed the survey.
The survey instrument is patterned after SERVQUAL, which was developed by Leonard L. Berry, A. Parasuraman, and Valarie A. Zeithaml to assess customer service satisfaction in the business/retail sector and measures three service quality areas: affect of service, library as place and information control.
In the survey, users will be asked anonymously for their judgments on three scales for each of the 27 survey questions:
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The desired level of service they would like to receive
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The minimum they are willing to accept
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The actual level of service they perceive to have been provided
The desired and minimum scores establish the upper and lower boundaries of a “zone of tolerance” within which the perceived scores should float if respondents view service as adequate. This framework allows the use of gap analysis to interpret results.
A comments box will allow respondents the opportunity to provide any additional thoughts they may have about the library.
For more information about the survey, contact Jon Crossno, Information Desk manager, at jon.crossno@utsouthwestern.edu or by phone at 214-648-2562. A complete listing of publications about LibQUAL+ is available on the LibQUAL+ Web site at http://www.libqual.org/Publications/index.cfm.
This project is funded in part by the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL).
Media Technology offers expertise in preparing conference room AV equipment
Media Technology, a division of Information Resources, is occasionally asked to consult with departments purchasing audiovisual (AV) equipment for campus conference rooms. Unfortunately, the first call often comes after a vendor has already been chosen or some equipment is already installed. Before doing it yourself, think about calling the Media Technology office. They are available for free consultations to help departments make smart AV equipment choices.
Here are some basics to consider before making multimedia purchases:
| Multimedia Projectors |
Master Controls |
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The UT System has an agreement with Epson to provide graphics projectors at cost. UT Southwestern uses Epson multimedia projectors in all rooms currently supported by the Media Technology office. The following models are the most popular:
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730c — This projector, weighing only 4.3 pounds, offers a high-quality image and is commonly used in small- to medium-sized conference rooms.
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735c — This projector is similar to the 730c model except it also offers wireless technology. This enables users to make presentations without a laptop.
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8300i — This model is useful for applications requiring superior brightness and detail and is excellent for anatomical and radiological images.
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Master controls can range from simple and inexpensive to rather elaborate requiring custom programming. A master control system is often where miscommunication between vendors and clients occur so be careful. Be sure to ask the vendor if training is included in the price.
Some of the most common master control brands are AMX and Crestron. Before making a final decision, be sure to clarify:
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How many electronics will be controlled by the system?
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Should the room lights and an electric screen be included on the master control?
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Will a number of presenters be using the equipment or is the room to be used by only a few people?
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Will the equipment require additional costs for added power, dedicated circuits, changes in lighting, etc.?
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Other media technology services
In addition to consultation services, Media Technology has a wide variety of AV equipment for rent and several Epson 730 multimedia projectors in stock, which can be tested before purchasing models through the at-cost UT System purchase plan. We also have reasonable short- and long-term lease arrangements for Epson 730 projectors and Dell laptops.
For more information, contact the Media Technology office at 214-648-3695 or e-mail IRMediaTech@UTSouthwestern.edu.
New Network Services H.323 gatekeeper deployed
Network Services has deployed a new H.323 gatekeeper for general videoconferencing needs. It allows users to communicate with internal as well as external videoconferencing units.
Benefits to the gatekeeper include:
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No need to remember IP addresses (You can dial contacts using only user aliases)
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Dialing end users that are not part of the contiguous UT Southwestern network
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The opportunity to close multiple ports in the firewall and increase the security of our network
The gatekeeper currently supports the following end points:
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Microsoft NetMeeting
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Polycom View Stations
Setup instructions for these clients can be found at http://inside.utsouthwestern.edu/irhome/network/configure_videoconference.htm.
If you have a different client, contact Stan Waddell at 214-648-0761 to test client for compatibility.
New Web site offers unified federal grants information
The Department of Health and Human Services recently launched a unified interface for accessing information about grants from the federal government. The site, Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov, includes information on about 900 grant programs from 26 federal grant-making agencies.
Key features include:
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A single source for finding grant opportunities
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A standardized manner for locating and learning more about funding opportunities
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A single, secure and reliable source for applying for federal grants online
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A simplified grant application process with reduction of paperwork
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A unified interface not only for all agencies to announce their grant opportunities, but also for all grant applicants to search and apply for those opportunities
Extensive help for using Grants.gov is available in their user manual at http://www.grants.gov/GrantsGov_UST_Grantee/!SSL!/WebHelp/userguide.pdf.
If you need assistance searching for information to support a grant application, the library can help. Call 214-648-2003 or complete the Web-based “Request a Literature Search” form at http://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/library/reference/searchForm.cfm.
