Internet and its Resources for the Health Information Scientist

[Published in: Subbarao, C.V. et al (Ed), Preparing libraries for 21st century; Fortieth All India Library Conference, Goa, 1995, p.35-56.]

Rapid developments in the Information Technology are having great impact on our society. Mankind is rapidly leaping from industrial age to information age. Today we play chess with machines and use computer screens to paint masterpieces of art instead of canvas. We communicate across the continents without knowing whether the voice and pictures are beamed to satellites, carried over radio waves, over wires or through optic fibres.

Professionals of almost all professions are experiencing new challenges of adapting to new work environment influenced by the information technology. The methods, materials and tools of working are undergoing dramatic transformation. As with other professions, Information Scientists are also Experiencing new opportunities and challenges of working under the influence of information technology. The world of information is changing rapidly due to increasing possibilities and channels of "interconnectivity". Scientists, researchers, library and information professionals are increasingly interchanging e-mail with their counterparts across the globe, accessing full-text databases, navigating through the online catalogues of universities situated at different corners of the world, accessing international databases, downloading files, copying electronic journals residing on a university computer, getting informal advises on their research topic from news groups and a great deal of more. All these are possible due to omnipresent 'Internet'.

Under such a technology onslaught it has become imperative on the part of librarians and information scientists to understand and realise the potential of Internet as a source of information and master the techniques for exploring its functionality in order to satisfy the need of the users. Moreover, Internet can be of immense utility for information requirements of professionals. It is now possible to communicate at amazing speeds with professional colleagues all over the world. In case of a problem, one can consult with an expert by joining a discussion group that communicates via E-mail. For instance CDS/ISIS user groups can provide answers to those who are having difficulties using the software. With Internet connection one can now interrogate vast amounts of knowledge at a distance. National Library of Medicine, for example, provides access to its MEDLARS databases over Internet. The WHO Library now offers its WHOLIS database, its newsletter Liasion and WHODOC over Internet. Moreover, the retrieved information can be downloaded and synthesised with exiting information and passed on to end-users.

What is Internet?

From the mid-1970s to the 1980s, smaller networks that used the ARPAnet technology, such as NSFnet, run by the National Science Foundation (NSF), decided to work together or internetwork. They started sending information to one another across special high-speed telephone lines, with the ARPAnet as the core. By the 1980s this internetwork of computers reached not only across the country, but around the world. Today it links government, university, college, research, and commercial sites, and is known around the world simply as Internet.

Internet is constituted of different types of computers. In order to render them interconnected the administrators agreed to have their computers speak the same transmission language, Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). That agreement has spawned a world-wide web of computers that are all connected. To send a message on the network, a computer simply has to put the data in an envelope, called an Internet Protocol (IP) packet and "address" the packets correctly. The communicating computers will ensure that the communication is accomplished [5].

Who Runs Internet?

Who Pays for Internet?

The growth of Internet is phenomenon. The Internet global population is 15 million, with 1,50,000 members joining every month [4].

Getting connected to Internet:

a) Permanent direct connection:

Permanent direct connection to a TCP/IP network, that is in turn connected to the rest of the Internet. A dedicated Internet line provides fast, round the clock access for a large group of people. This requires network adapter card, packet drivers, TCP/IP software. This connection makes available the complete Internet services like electronic mail, bulletin boards, file transfer, remote login etc for the user. This is the costliest way of getting connected to the Internet.

b) On demand direct connection:

There is more cost-effective way. It is to have a dial in connection to a SLIP/PPP server, which is in turn connected to Internet. This arrangement requires modem, SLIP or PPP software in the users system. Serial Line Interface Protocol (SLIP) or Point to Point Protocol (PPP) are the versions of Internet software that run over normal phone lines, using standard high speed modems. When the user wants to access Internet, he has to call a SLIP/PPP server. Once the connection is made the user is a Internet participant and can use any of its resources. In case of such type of connection access, speed depends on the speed of the modems at both ends. Modems of 9600 baud or preferably of 14,400 baud are required for such type of connection.

c. Dialup terminal connection:

With dialup terminal connection the user links to an Internet service provider as if the user is a terminal on the service providers computer. Internet access utilities (like telnet, FTP etc) are actually run on the service provider’s computer. The user keystrokes are sent to the software on the service provider’s computer and the screen output is sent back to the user. To read or send a mail the user has to log into the remote system first and only then he can read or write a mail. In order to fetch a file using ftp one has to save the file first to the remote system's disk and then has to use communication programme to move files from the remote system back to his computer. The user can access all the Internet tools, unless restricted by the system manager. Dialup connection is very cost effective. Other than an account with the service provider, user needs a modem, a telephone line, any type of PC and a terminal emulation package like Crosstalk.

d. Mail only connection:

UNIX systems having connection to service provider like UUNET, can use its UUCP services to pickup Internet mail and USENET news using standard phone lines. The UNIX system uses UUCP to dial into a remote system at regular intervals and transfer news and mail. Most networking services like BITNET and CompuServe have gateways that allow a user to exchange electronic mail with Internet, read USENET news, and allow the user to request a file via an electronic mail message.

Internet availability in India:

In India a Library can access Internet through networks like NICNET, ERNET etc. NICNET users can send or receive e-mail from Internet using any of its more then 600 nodes spread all over India. Users living in 14 cities (which will soon be increased to 70) which are connected over high-speed link can have full Internet facilities. Recently, National Informatics Centre (NIC) has started a programme called Research and Education Network of National Informatics Centre (RENNIC), which will provide educational and research institutes Internet services like e-mail, file transfer, remote login, gopher etc.

Tools & Utilities for Internet Users:

Electronic mail allows users to send messages.

USENET News is the world’s largest bulletin board service, it lets the user read and post message that has been sent to public newsgroups.

Telnet is used for logging into other computers on the Internet. It is used to access databases, library catalogue etc.

FTP is a tool for moving files back and forth, and is useful for retrieving files from public archives scattered around the world.

Archie lets the user to locate files on Internet.

Gopher lets the user to prowl through the Internet by selecting resources from menus.

WAIS searches and provide access to resources on Internet without regard for where they are really reside.

WWW provides information through hypertext technology.

ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL) & BULLETIN BOARD SERVICES:

E-mail stands for electronic mail and allows sending messages from one computer to another via a telecommunication channel. The basic concept behind e-mail is same as ordinary mail. Users of Internet have their own unique e-mail addresses. One can send e-mail to people at their particular addresses. In turn, they respond to sender's e- mail address. One can also subscribe to the electronic equivalent of magazines and newspapers. However e-mail has two distinct advantages over ordinary mail. The most obvious is speed and other advantage is that one can also transfer programmes and data files through e-mail. It also has advantages over the telephone. One can send his message when it is convenient for him and recipients respond at their convenience.

E-mail Addresses of Interest to Health Information Scientist.

Internet has e-mail addresses of people and organisation that exchange information on various subject interest. It is known as Publicly Accessible Mailing List (PAML). Email addresses that can be of interest to a health information scientist are outlined in the following paras.

a). Act-up

b). Add-Parents

  j). Genetics Banks

USENET News Group list

One can use "newsreader" programme and join such news groups. On Unix systems rn or nn are the commonly available programmes.

News Groups of interest to Health Information Scientist

II.TELNET

Telnet sites of interest to health information scientist.

Connecting to Commercial Databanks with telnet over Internet

Until 1993, one needed to dial directly to a service via modem and pay a long-distance charge, or access through an X.25 network like SprintNet, BT Tymnet or Telenet to connect to commercial information services. Today, it is possible to access these through Internet.

Besides connect time fees and per record costs, X.25 networks add a small telecommunications charge to the bill. Accessing over the Internet is usually cheaper than X.25 links, sometime even free. Once on the Internet, accessing the commercial databases via telnet takes fewer steps and less time to establish connections, which can be an advantage. Some of the commercial services accessible via Internet are as follows:

a). DIALOG Information Service

III. FTP

e.g.

ftp 128.167.254.179

Connected to 128.167.254.179.

Name (128.167.254.179:sukhi): anonymous

331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.

Password: <password>

ftp>

FTP sites of interest to health information scientist.

c). Sunsite.unc.edu

e). World Health Organization (WHO)

IV. FINDING FILES: ARCHIE

IV. GOPHER

Gopher sites of interest to Health Information Scientist

d). Clinical Alerts

VI. WIDE AREA INFORMATION NETWORK SERVER (WAIS)

VII. WORLD-WIDE WEB

WWW sites of interest to Health Information Scientist

VIII. ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS

a). AIDS ALERT FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

q). MIDWIFERY

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References:

2) AYRE (Rick). Making the Internet connection. PC Magazine. 13(16); Oct. 11; 1994; 118-126

3) GRAFFIN (Adam) and HEITKOTTER (Jorg). Big dummy's guide to the Internet. Textinfo Ed. 2.2. Washington: Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1994

4) Internet World' 93 Conference (New York: Dec. 1993)

5) KAN'TOR(Andrew). Internet: the undiscovered country. PC Magazine. 13(5); Mar. 15; 1994; 116-118

6) KROL (Ed). Whole Internet: user guide and catalogue. 2nd Ed. Sebastopol: O'Reilly and Associates, 1994

7) KRUNMENAKER (Larry). When your library card must be a credit card: telnetting to fee-based databases. Internet world. 5(5); July/August; 1994; 84-90

8) NAIR (Premnath). Love at first byte. Sunday Times of India Review. Oct. 30; 1994