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www.biosis.org
Vol. 8 Issue 4 2001
BIOSIS Evolutions
continued from page 1
Searching the World Over: BIOSIS Trainers Offer Support to Users
USA and Canada
Myra Shields
Lucy Silva
Diane Williams
Europe
Nigel Robinson
Louis Gibb
BIOSIS Trainers
Australia
Phillipa Stevens
Belgium and France
Claire Hou
Germany
Kordula Segler-Stahl
Italy
Francesca Cagnani
Japan
Reiko Ohsawa
Spain
Veronica Juan
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North and South American Office
1.800.523.4806 (USA and Canada)
+215.587.4800 (Worldwide)
info@biosis.org
European Office
+44 (0) 1904 644269
helpdesk@york.biosis.org
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Support and Training at BIOSIS. "This is exactly what
BIOSIS trainers give users worldwide."
The trainers visit BIOSIS users in their territories, clustering
their visits to accommodate as many institutions as possible on
each trip. BIOSIS employs four full-time trainers in North
America and Europe. An additional six training representatives
serve BIOSIS users in Europe, Australia, and Japan.
Over the last couple of years, BIOSIS trainers have worked
with over 1,000 users around the world using eight different
search platforms for five different BIOSIS databases.
A Typical BIOSIS Training Session
When BIOSIS trainers visit our customers, they present a
workshop designed to help people with varying levels of
familiarity use our databases proficiently. First, they lead a
presentation that provides an overview of BIOSIS, as well as
detailed field and indexing information. The slide show offers
detailed information such as step-by-step searching instructions.
Then, using QRCs and the product workbooks, the trainer
guides the users through the entire search process, working
with them to perform sample searches provided by BIOSIS and
the users. During this interactive help session, users can ask
our trainers for any assistance necessary. After viewing the
user's search results, our trainers explain alternative routes to
finding the same information. Often users already search very
effectively before training, but soon learn to refine strategies
for maximum relevant hits.
According to BIOSIS Trainer Lucy Silva, "We really stress
knowing when to search the individual Relational (context-
sensitive) Indexing fields and when to do the more general
free-text search. At the end of the session, people who already
know free-text searches are also proficient in searching
particular fields."
Indeed, part of what makes BIOSIS databases such a valuable
resource is the quality and specificity of our indexing which
selectively places key words and concepts into multiple fields.
This indexing allows a user to target a specific field, such as
Diseases or Organisms, for information.
BIOSIS Trainer Myra Shields adds, "Context-sensitive indexing is
the strength of BIOSIS databases. With it, users can focus a search,
for example, on a certain drug, and then retrieve the information
in the exact context of side effects, efficacy, and so on."
Since trainers are in great demand, we offer all of the
supplementary training materials workbooks, QRCs, and
training presentations for free though our Web site. Plus,
help desks in Europe and North America are open to handle
any other customer inquiries via e-mail or phone.
"BIOSIS works very hard to provide support for all of our users,"
says Marisa Westcott, BIOSIS Director of Marketing. "A BIOSIS
database is a great resource, and we feel our efforts can really
enhance a user's experience. The more people understand our
products, the more they will use these databases and,
ultimately, realize the unique value that BIOSIS offers."
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Training Representatives
Help Desk Information
Sample QRCs and workbooks
