Rapid Research?

Scientific research is a time consuming process that can take years before the initial research findings are published and often much longer before clinical implications or treatments can found.  But what if there is a major medical event that can’t wait for the usual process to run its course? 

Rapid Research Notes  is a new resource developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to quickly disseminate the research results to the public in an open access archive.  The RRN archive was prompted in part by the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak but the archive will expand over time to include additional collections on time critical topics in other biomedical fields. 

PLoS Currents Influenza is the first in the collection to archived.  Publishers interested in archiving online, rapid communications in RRN should contact NCBI and general guidelines for participation are described here.  It is important to note these guidelines are provisional and may change as NCBI gains experience with the new RRN archive.

There are many places you can find information on H1N1.

I am a little confused.  So much as been flying around the Internet about H1N1 and the various free collections available.  It would be nice if all of these free collections (from reputable vendors and sources of course) were consolidated under one roof.  If I am reading the “About Rapid Research Notes” page correctly, then the RRN archive is intended to be that centralized site.  Right?  So we have PLoS articles in the archive but the other quality information from EBSCO, Cochrane, and others places is not in there.  Do these publishers have plans of adding their information in there?  If so, I would like to see some information on that.  If not, then what purpose does RRN serve other than as an archive?  Searchers and healthcare workers still have to look on several different sites to find the information on H1N1.  EBSCO has a very nicely organized site providing information to clinicians, nurses and patients using EBSCOs various databases (DynaMed, NRC, and PERC).  In addition to Podcasts and presentations, Cochrane has information on the interventions, and the prevention and treatment of influenza.  Don’t get me wrong, I think we need something like RRN archive (for H1N1 and other important biomedical events), but what is the point if it is missing information because other publisher choose not to put their information in RRN?  Not only will people have to search multiple sites, but where do those patient education pages from EBSCO or the Cochrane podcasts go once H1N1 is no longer a big deal anymore?

Am I wrong, confused, or just not seeing something?  Please let me know.

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