Trip Database Blog

Interesting indeed! (click here)

Another amazing looking resource – Microsoft’s Live Search Books.

I got this lead from Ben Toth. This is a brilliant application.

It doesn’t work with many sites, but it does on Amazon.com. When you load a page with an ISBN number Book Burro recognises this and automatically compares prices over a variety of book stores. In additon, it has agreements with some libraries to show stock.

As you will see on the screenshot, Amazon is by no means the cheapest and also that the book is available in Earlham and Manchester Colleges. Not that that does me much good as I’m based in Cardiff – still it’s the principle that’s important.

Below are the most viewed articles from TRIP for November:

1. Growth reference charts for the UK (RCPCH) – viewed 188 times
2. Contact dermatitis (PRODIGY) – 164
3. Acute sore throat (PRODIGY) – 140
4. Guidelines for the management of enteral tube feeding in adults (CREST) – 89
5. Guidelines for the administration of blood components (ANZSBT) – 87
6. Urine Dipstick for Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infection (FPIN) – 82
7. Guidelines for Blood Grouping & Antibody Screening in the Antenatal & Perinatal Setting (ANZSBT) – 81
8. Nutrition support in adults (NICE) – 80
9. Lower back pain (PRODIGY) – 79
10. Buprenorphine transdermal patches (Norspan) for chronic severe pain (NPS) – 78

The highest placed Q&A was, in 50th place, Treatment of Tinea unguis, viewed 44 times.

TRIP is getting more and more popular, find below our search stats:

• 25,000 searches per month (while we were a subscription service)
• 132,538 – September 2006
• 191,581 – October 2006
• 274,106 – November 2006

Since going free in September we’ve had monthly increases, in use, of approximately 45%. That’s strong growth, but when will it plateau?

Given the ‘strength’ of TRIP I’m looking forward to the next batch of upgrades. Not likely to happen till Spring 2007 (too busy on Gwagle). But if you have any suggestions on how to improve TRIP I would love to hear from you!

I came across two fairly recent articles that have used TRIP as part of a literature search:

• Systematic review: the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in the management of irritable bowel syndrome.
• Does cardiopulmonary resuscitation cause rib fractures in children? A systematic review.

It’s nice to see that we get mentioned in the literature as well as being so highly used.

Google is shutting down its Google Answers service. As the article syas it might well be to re-launch with something new and innovative in the New Year.

Interestingly, a Q&A ‘service’ will be one of the core features of Gwagle…

We’re near to finalising the design for the TRIP leaflets and they’re looking pretty good. If you want any let us know via ‘Contact Us‘ on the TRIP Database – they should be available December or early January.

Ambient Findability, by Peter Morville, is a great book. Only half way through but already lots to think about.