Please consider participating in the bioinformatics-related research projects “Assessment of User Skills and Efficiency in the Application of Bioinformatics Resources to Answer Biological Questions” and “Exploring Models of Library-Based Bioinformatics Support Programs: Services, Staffing, Training, and Funding”

Who is Needed

Faculty, post-doctoral associates, graduate students, research staff and undergraduates, in the life sciences or basic biomedical sciences, age 21 and older.

Why You’re Needed

Participants in these national studies will help bioinformatics investigators understand how researchers use online resources (such as GenBank, BLAST, and PubMed) available from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The results of the research will have implications for bioinformatics training, database and tool design, and database and webpage interface design.

How to Participate

There are four ways to participate: a one hour online assessment, a one hour one-on-one observational session, or two focus groups – one covering researchers’ perceptions of NCBI resources, and the other covering library-based bioinformatics support services. Depending on the session, participants will receive a gift card or lunch.

1. One Hour Online Assessment

Use NCBI resources to answer biological questions. Your answers will be recorded online anonymously. Participants will receive a $5.00 Starbucks gift card.

Requirements: Must have experience using NCBI resources.

Friday, April 18
Room 601B, Becker Medical Library
8:15-9:15 am

2. One Hour One-On-One Observational Session

Use NCBI resources to answer biological questions, and describe the search strategies that you employ. Your descriptions will be audio recorded anonymously. Participants will receive a $10.00 Starbucks gift card.

Requirements: Must have experience using NCBI resources.

Friday, April 18
Room 601B, Becker Medical Library
Four sessions available:
9:30-10:30 am
10:45-11:45 am
2:00-3:00 pm
3:15-4:15 pm

3. Focus Group: Library-based Bioinformatics Services

Tell us your perceptions of library-based bioinformatics support services. Have you used your library’s services? What services are most important to you and why? Lunch will be served.

Requirements: Must have used your library’s bioinformatics support services, or have need for such services.

Thursday, April 17
Location: 201 Becker Medical Library (2nd floor conference room)
Noon – 1:30 pm

4. Focus Group: Bioinformatics Resources

Tell us your perceptions of NCBI and other bioinformatics resources, e.g. ease of use, how they do and do not meet your needs, etc. The discussion will be audio recorded anonymously. Lunch will be served.

Requirements: Must have experience using NCBI or other bioinformatics databases and resources.

Friday, April 18
Location: 201 Becker Medical Library (2nd floor conference room)
Noon-1:30 pm

To Register

To register, or for information about registration, please contact Kristi Holmes at holmeskr@wustl.edu. Be sure to specify for which session(s) you are registering, and put the words “NCBI study” in your email subject line.

For More Information

For questions about this research, contact the project PI, Michele Tennant, PhD, at tennantm@ufl.edu.

* Approved by University of Florida Institutional Review Board 02. Protocols #2007-U-0212 and #2007-U-0213. For use through 03-06-09. Please note that although the study focuses on usage of NBI resources, this research is being conducted independently of the NCBI. No government funds are being used in providing incentives for participants.