(fwd) Re: What is a MEDLINE search?

From: Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Date: Fri Jan 07 2000 - 19:50:43 MST


(If you what to try a medline search go to:
 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: wbrink*NOSPAM*@earthlink.net (Will Brink)
Newsgroups: misc.fitness.weights

There is a medline search engine at my site. Once you find that, here is a
basic guide to undestanding the terms you will find:

UNDERSTANDING AND WRITING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PAPERS
   
    The following list of phrases and their definitions might
    help you understand the mysterious language of science
    and medicine. These special phrases are also applicable
    to anyone working on a PH.D. dissertation or academic
    paper anywhere!
   
    "IT HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN"... I didn't look up the
     original reference.
   
    "A DEFINITE TREND IS EVIDENT"... These data are
     practically meaningless.
   
    "WHILE IT HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE
     DEFINITE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS"... An
     unsuccessful experiment, but I still hope to get it published.
   
    "THREE OF THE SAMPLES WERE CHOSEN FOR
     DETAILED STUDY"... The other results didn't make any sense.
   
    "TYPICAL RESULTS ARE SHOWN"... This is the prettiest graph.
   
    "THESE RESULTS WILL BE IN A SUBSEQUENT REPORT"...
      I might get around to this sometime, if pushed/funded.
   
    "IN MY EXPERIENCE"... once
   
    "IN CASE AFTER CASE"... Twice
   
    "IN A SERIES OF CASES"... Thrice
   
    "IT IS BELIEVED THAT"... I think.
   
    "IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT"... A couple of others think so, too.
   
    "CORRECT WITHIN AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE"... Wrong.
   
    "ACCORDING TO STATISTICAL ANALYSIS"... Rumor has it.
   
    "A STATISTICALLY-ORIENTED PROJECTION OF THE
     SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE FINDINGS"... A wild guess.
   
    "A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF OBTAINABLE DATA"... Three
     pages of notes were obliterated when I knocked over a glass
     of beer.
   
    "IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH ADDITIONAL WORK WILL BE
     REQUIRED BEFORE A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING
     OF THIS PHENOMENA OCCURS"... I don't understand it.
   
    "AFTER ADDITIONAL STUDY BY MY COLLEAGUES"...
     They don't understand it either.
   
    "THANKS ARE DUE TO JOE BLOTZ FOR ASSISTANCE
     WITH THE EXPERIMENT AND TO CINDY ADAMS FOR
     VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS"... Mr. Blotz did the work and
     Ms. Adams explained to me what it meant.
   
    "A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT AREA FOR EXPLORATORY STUDY"...
     A totally useless topic selected by my committee.
   
    "IT IS HOPED THAT THIS STUDY WILL STIMULATE
     FURTHER INVESTIGATION IN THIS FIELD"... I quit.
  
Will Brink
http://www.brinkzone.com/



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