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Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag
Image by Neo_Artemis from Pixabay

As Pride Month 2024 draws to a close, we want to take this opportunity to look back at some of our favorite LGBTQ+ blog posts. Whether you’re new to Himmelfarb Library or have been following our blog for years, this retrospective look at Himmelfarb’s Pride posts can serve as an opportunity to reflect on the history of Pride, celebrate the progress that’s been made towards LGBTQ+ equality and those who have fought for this progress, and recommit to the work that still needs to be done.

LGBTQ+ History

Most people don’t associate October with Pride Month, but October is LGBTQ History Month. In an October 2023 post titled The History Behind LGBTQ History Month, we took a look at the history behind LGBTQ History Month starting from its origins in 1994 when high school history teacher, Rodney Wilson addressed a lack of LGBTQ representation in school curriculum and worked with organizations such as the Human Rights Campain to have LGBTQ History Month recognized at the national level. October has additional significance within the LGBTQ community as the first March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place in October of 1979, and a second March on Washington took place on October 11, 1987. In 1988, October 11th was recognized as National Coming Out Day. If you’d like to learn more about the 1979 and 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, read the full post!

LGBTQ+ Profiles

At GW, we are lucky to have many influential members of the LGBTQ+ community who have been members of our faculty for many years! We’ve profiled some prominent GW faculty and one prominent national figure on our blog.

Picture of Dr. Deyton and Dr. Fauci standing in front of a GW Medicine & Health Sciences logo.
(GW SMHS Facebook Page, 2017)

In June 2021, we posted a piece titled “Just Speak:” Lawrence “Bopper” Deyton. This in-depth profile of Dr. Deyton explores an influential experience Dr. Deyton had as a patient that would have a profound impact on the course of his career and inspire him to work to be a positive influence for change within the field of medicine and healthcare for his entire career. In 1978, Dr. Deyton co-founded what is now Whitman-Walker Health as “a health clinic for gay men and lesbians before AIDS redefined everything and the clinic became a hub for HIV treatment” (Sullivan, 2011). After attending medical school at GW and completing his residency at the University of Southern California Los Angeles County Medical Center, Dr. Deyton began working at the NIH, where he became friends with Dr. Anthony Fauci, and together they would play a crucial role in HIV/AIDS research during the early 1990s epidemic. Dr. Deyton was instrumental in overseeing the “clinical research on the development and approval of antiretroviral drugs and treatment strategies, including the first trials of combination therapies, the cornerstone of current HIV treatments” (GW SMHS, 2017). Read the full post to learn more about Dr. Deyton’s fascinating and impactful career!

Picture of Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz.

In September of 2021, we posted a profile titled Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz: Aim for What You’re Passionate About. In this post, Dr. Rodriguez-Diaz discusses what inspired him to go into public health and get involved with HIV care and prevention. He discusses the privilege of being a “young Latino gay man and to have access to education and contribute to my community by engaging in public health training, practice, and research” (Puro, 2021).

Dr. Rodriguez-Diaz talks about how he ended up at GW, what lessons scientists can learn from the spread of misinformation related to the COVID-19 vaccine, and how to make research more transparent and accessible. Included in his answer, he explains that “we should facilitate those scientists from minority populations (e.g. Latinos, Black, LGBTQ, Native Americans) to have access to mass media and platforms to reach out to their communities. No one else can speak to a community like a community member” (Puro, 2021). Read the full article to learn more about Dr. Rodriguez-Diaz.

In June of 2021, our post titled PRIDE: Dr. Rachel Levine: Physician and LGBTQ+ Health Advocate profiled Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender woman to be confirmed for federal office by the United States Senate in 2021. Dr. Levine is still serving as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Levine served as the Pennslyvania Physician General from 2015 to 2018, during which time she was responsible for an initiative that allowed law enforcement agents to carry Naloxone, an anti-overdose drug, and also allowed Pennsylvanians to purchase Naloxone from a pharmacy without a prescription. Levine has used her platform to highlight health inequality issues impacting marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. In a 2020 interview with Philadelphia magazine, Dr. Levine said “One of my goals, being a state health official…is that people will see me. … it’s about letting people put a face to something they might not understand, so they aren’t fearful, so that they don’t get angry, so that it doesn’t lead to hate.” 

Picture of Dr. Rachel Levine standing in front of a podium and US flag.

Resources

We’ve also posted about LGBTQ+ resources and local organizations. A 2023 post titled Celebrate Pride: LGBTQ+ Healthcare Resources highlighted selected books, journals, and streaming videos that are part of Himmelfarb’s collection. A more recent post from earlier this month titled Pride in the Collection shared more books from our Diversity and Disparities in Health Care collection relevant to the LGBTQ+ community. 

References:

George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. (June, 12, 2017). Lawrence “Bopper” Deyton installed as Murdock Head Professor of Medicine and Health Policy. SMHS News. https://smhs.gwu.edu/news/lawrence-%E2%80%9Cbopper%E2%80%9D-deyton-installed-murdock-head-professor-medicine-and-health-policy

Puro, A. (2021, September 29). Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz: Aim for what you’re passionate about. Himmelfarb Library Blog. https://blogs.gwu.edu/himmelfarb/2021/09/29/dr-carlos-rodriguez-diaz-aim-for-what-youre-passionate-about/

Sullivan, P. (2011, September 7). Lawrence Deyton, award nominee, heads FDA campaign against smoking. The Washington Post, https://go.openathens.net/redirector/gwu.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Flocal%2Flawrence-deyton-award-nominee-heads-fda-campaign-against-smoking%2F2011%2F08%2F15%2FgIQABsMYAK_story.html

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From all of us at Himmelfarb Library, we’d like to welcome all of the new residents, fellows, students, faculty, and staff who joined the GW SMHS, GWSPH, and GW Nursing community this month! We are thrilled that you’re here and we look forward to serving you during your time at GW! We know that the start of any new endeavor can be daunting, so we’d like to make it easier for you to get to know Himmelfarb Library.

To help you get the lay of the land, watch this short, video tour of the library with Himmelfarb’s Library Director, Laura Abate:

Himmelfarb Hours 

Our physical space, accessible through Ross Hall, is open the following hours:

Monday - Thursday: 7:30 am - Midnight

Friday: 7:30 am - 10:00 pm

Saturday: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sunday: 8:00 am - Midnight

Our current hours of operation are available on our website and include exceptions to normal hours (i.e. holiday closures). If you can’t make it to the library in person, you can get help from our librarians and staff via chat or phone (202-994-2850), or email himmelfarb@gwu.edu. Our databases, journals, and e-books are available 24/7, so even when our building is closed, you can access our electronic resources from anywhere.

Himmelfarb Resources and Collections

Himmelfarb’s collection is much larger than just the books in our stacks. We have 125 databases to search, including PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL. The search bar towards the top of our library homepage, known as Health Information @ Himmelfarb, can be used to search for physical and electronic books, journals, articles, dissertations, and more all in just a single search box! 

You can also browse and access our collection of journals from our e-journals page, or by using BrowZine. You can use BrowZine directly from your internet browser, or download the app to your IOS or Android device. BrowZine allows you to create a personalized bookshelf of journal titles, follow your favorite journals, and create alerts for new issues and tables of contents.

Here’s another pro tip: installing the LibKey Nomad browser extension on your favorite browser will provide easy access to full text when searching PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO databases, Google Scholar, Amazon, publisher sites, and more. With LibKey Nomad, you’ll be alerted when the full-text articles and e-books are available from Himmelfarb, and be able to get the PDF with a single click in most cases.

We also provide a wide range of e-books from AccessMedicine, ClinicalKey, EBSCOhost, and R2 Digital Library. You can browse our e-book collections, view our special collections in Health Information @ Himmelfarb, or search for any book via the Health Information @ Himmelfarb search tool on our homepage. We also have print books on the basement level of Himmelfarb. Most print books can be borrowed for three weeks with an additional two renewals. If we don’t have a book or article that you need, we can get it for you through our Consortium Loan Service or Documents2Go services. 

Clinical Resources

Himmelfarb provides specialized apps and information services to support those of you who provide patient care. DynaMed and Lexidrug are our go-to resources for easy access to clinical care resources. If you want resources available on your smartphone or other mobile device, check out our App Shelf to download apps to selected resources. Learn more about resources available to residents on our Residents and Fellows Guide!

Research Support

Himmelfarb is more than just a physical space with lots of study space and great databases, journals, books, and e-books! Our librarians and staff can support you in your research by helping with literature searches, conducting systematic reviews, and organizing sources with RefWorks or Covidence. We can also help guide you through the constantly evolving scholarly publishing landscape through our author services. 

Get help with your research from our knowledgeable reference librarians and staff. Stop by our circulation desk to get your questions answered in person, or use our Ask a Librarian service to chat with a reference librarian virtually. Our Ask a Librarian service is staffed by real Himmelfarb librarians and staff so you can be sure you’re getting the help you need! We also have a wealth of research guides that can connect you with resources on a variety of topics. 

Connect with Us!

Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube for the latest Himmelfarb news and updates! Subscribe to our blog to make sure you never miss a post!

We look forward to serving you! Welcome to the GW community!

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Sometimes researching can be more complicated than it appears. Below, we take a look at predatory publishing, what it is, and how to avoid it.

A title card that says predatory publishing
Narration: A label next in the bottom left corner denotes the speaker as “Rebecca, Librarian, Amature Cartoonist.”
Pp Page 1
Rebecca in the boat, looks down concerned at the sea, where multiple shark fins can be seen poking through the waves. The speech bubble states “But there metaphorical waters can prove treacherous. And unlike real sharks, these threats to scientific knowledge provide little benefit to the scholarly ecosystem”
Narration: “Introducing Predatory Publishing” is at the top of the page. At the bottom, there is a label for the shark, which states “Ponzi, the Shark” Image: A shark wearing a top hat and bow tie waves a fin, looking smug.
Panel 4 Narration: “But what are predatory publishers?” Image: Rebecca looking stern, looks forward with a parrot on her shoulder. “Predatory publishers are journals that only exist to make money.” panel 5 Image: A white man with blonde hair and old fashion clothes, holding onto ship wreckage like Jack in Titanic, looks at a mermaid with brown skin, black hair and a purple tail. In the background there is other evidence of a ship wreck. The man says “What do you mean “make money?” to which the mermaid replies “You didn’t know?”
Pp Page 1
Image: Now under the sea, the mermaid from earlier gestures to a treasure chest full of gold. Other sea life float in the background. She says “Scientific publishing is a huge business. One publisher, had a profit margin of almost 40% in 2023 (1). In contrast, Apple’s was 44% (2).
Pp Page 1
Panel 1 Narration: To best understand how publishers make so much money, one must learn how the publishing process works. Image: The parrot from earlier says “Polly want an explanation!” Panel 2 Narration: “Traditional publishing looks something like this. Scientists submit to journals who publish it to the world (ideally). And money flows like this: scientists submit to journals for free (or a small fee) and publishers pay to publish the work to the world, who pay higher costs in return for access. Publishers get work for free that is edited for free and then charge individuals, libraries, ect for access. Image: A flow chart of a beaker, a journal and the Earth is shown demonstrating the relationship described in the narration.
Narration: This can lead to science being behind a paywall, especially for scientists, schools and others who can’t afford to pay. Image: Rebecca and Polly the parrot stand on opposite sides of a poster with a picture of a journal on it. The poster says “$$$$ science.” Rebecca, talking to Polly, says “I can’t afford this.” Polly, who is resting on a bird perch, says “Polly can’t even afford a cracker…”
Panel 1 Narration: SO a new model was born: open access. It looks like the traditional model but money flows like this (authors pay to journals to publish their work and journals pay to publish to the world). The idea is the author pays a fee to ensure wider access. Image: A flow chart of a beaker, a journal and the Earth is shown demonstrating the relationship described in the narration. Panel 2: Narration: Ideally, the rest works the same. Scientists submit their best works, it’s peer reviewed and if it passes muster, it’s published like traditional publishing. Image: We see the Earth in space with an Astronaut floating in the foreground. The astronaut says “I even get access out here!” There is also a UFO floating over the Earth as a gag.
Narration: Except…what if instead of being discerning about what you publish, you just accept everything? After all, the more articles you accept, the more money you make in fees.
Pp 2
Narration: This is the business model of predatory publishers: accept anything and make a profit from the fees. Some tactics of predatory publishers include: Image: A wanted poster of Ponzi the shark is affixed to a brick wall. On the poster, Ponzi looks alarmed. The text of the poster says “wanted: fraud.”
Narration: Pretending to be respected journals by spoofing the name of a more reputable publication. Image: A bald Black scientist wearing glasses looks concerned at Ponzi, who looks the same except for a drawn on fake mustache. Both of them stand next to posters. The scientist’s poster says “submit to Nature.” Ponzi’s poster states “submit to Natures.”
Panel 1 Narration: Or they’ll ue the name of a defunct journal that has a better reputation. Image: Ponzi the shark is seen floating underwater over a human skeleton. There are two labels affixed to each. The skeleton is labeled as “human sciences.” Ponzi is labeled as “human sciences 2.0” Panel 2: Narration: They might offer services like peer review with no intention of doing it, or claim rapid turn around times. Image: A white and yellow tropical fish stares at a piece of paper on a fish hook. The paper says “pls review in 24 hours.” Question marks are shown over the fish’s head.
Narration: The reason this is a huge issue is partially one of quality. Predatory publishers flood scientific literature with B.S that can be dangerous.
Pp 2
Narration: The other issue impacts scientists: those tricked into publishing in these journals can see a hit to their reputations. Image: A line up of three figures is shown with a text box underneath. The first two figures are literal clowns in full makeup while the third is a scientist with brown skin and brown hair looking horrified in their direction. The text underneath the three states” This issue: Balloon animals found to boost happiness page 8. The speed of trick flowers page 32. New cells found in clinical trials page 41.
Panel 1: Image: The shipwrecked sailor holding onto wood planks from page 1 floats in the ocean. He asks “So what do we do about this? Give up on open access?” Panel 2: Image: Rebecca is seen balancing on the mast of the ship with the sail behind her. He says “of course not! Open science is important. We just need to be careful.”
Narration: Look for red flags. Things like: Image: A red flag is seen in the sky. On the red flag there is a yellow circle which showcases Ponzi the shark.
Panel 1 Narration: Editors who have frank credentials, lack expertise that matches the journal or don’t exist at all. Image: A volleyball with a face painted on it in red (much like Wilson in Castaway) rests on a beach. Below it, a text box states: “Editor in Chief: Wilson V. Ball” Panel 2: Narration: Having a weird street address for a business or no about page. Image: An underwater cave is shown, There is a wooden sign in front of the cave that says “home of Natures.”
Panel 1 Narration: You’re naked to submit work entirely unsolicited. Image: An anglerfish with a letter in the place of its light antenna, floats in the deep sea. With sharp teeth it says “You got mail.” Panel 2: Narration: Promising rapid publication. Image: A stopwatch on a chain is shown with the intervals of 15, 30 and 45 on it. The top interval says “publish.”
Panel 1 Narration: Unsure about a publisher? You can ask a librarian or try using Cabells, a director of publishing opportunities. It identifies predatory publishers. We offer access to Cabells through Himmelfarb. Image: The interface of Cabells is shown where journals are marked as predatory. Panel 2 Narration: Good luck! Image: Rebecca is seen in the bird's nest, giving a salute to the audience. The ocean and sun can be seen behind her,
A list of sources\ Yup K. How Scientific Publishers’ Extreme Fees Put Profit Over Progress. Published online May 31, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.thenation.com/article/society/neuroimage-elsevier-editorial-board-journal-profit/ Miglani J. Apple Sales And Profits Analysis For FY 2023 — Top 10 Insights. Forrester. Published November 21, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/apple-sales-and-profits-analysis-for-fy-2023-top-10-insights/ Bueter R. Research Guides: Predatory Publishing: Home. Himmelfarb Health Science Library. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/PredatoryPublishing/Home

Sources:

  1. Yup K. How Scientific Publishers’ Extreme Fees Put Profit Over Progress. Published online May 31, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.thenation.com/article/society/neuroimage-elsevier-editorial-board-journal-profit/
  2. Miglani J. Apple Sales And Profits Analysis For FY 2023 — Top 10 Insights. Forrester. Published November 21, 2023. Accessed May 6, 2024. https://www.forrester.com/blogs/apple-sales-and-profits-analysis-for-fy-2023-top-10-insights/
  3. Bueter R. Research Guides: Predatory Publishing: Home. Himmelfarb Health Science Library. Accessed May 29, 2024. https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/PredatoryPublishing/Home

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Fingers with arthritis resting on a blue cushion
Fingertip arthritis - DIP joint, by handarmdoc on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons

May was designated as Arthritis Awareness Month by Congress and the President in 1972. An estimated 53.2 million US adults (21.2%) reported being diagnosed with some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia, in response to the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey (Fallon et al., 2023). There are numerous types of arthritis. Because of its prevalence, as well as the financial impact of the various forms of arthritis – for the year 2017, the CDC estimated that osteoarthritis was the second most costly condition treated at US hospitals. Let’s look at a couple of recently published articles examining the impacts of arthritis on population health.

When we consider a condition that is as common within the population as arthritis, and as costly to treat, health disparities are a concern. In a brief report in the July 2023 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, researchers examined healthcare utilization by patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA), focusing on whether these patients live in rural/isolated, largely rural, or urban locations (Desilet et al., 2023) The study was based on questionnaires filled out by over 37,000 RA patients and over 8200 OA patients. A majority of the RA patients responding (74.5%) lived in a rural area, and this proportion was similar for OA patients. By analyzing questionnaire responses indicating healthcare utilization over six months, the research team found that among RA patients, urban residents were more likely to utilize healthcare provided by some type of professional than their rural counterparts. The same was true for OA patients. Patients with both types of arthritis fare better under the care of a rheumatologist, and in rural areas, access to this expertise is more limited. The findings of this study suggest the importance of extending access to rheumatology care in rural communities that are not currently well-served.

A forthcoming article in the journal Rheumatology (d'Elia et al, 2024) reports on a study of symptoms in a primary care database, which tracked prodromal (early) symptoms for the 24 months prior to diagnosis, in over 70,000 RA patients, over a period of 18 years. When analyzed demographically and socioeconomically, the findings were that symptoms were reported differently in new-onset RA across ethnic groups. While some of this may be accounted for due to the way symptoms are reported by patients, delayed diagnosis and treatment is another potential factor. 

Another interesting finding of this study was the fact that of the symptoms reported, there was a discrepancy between the most common symptoms of RA (e.g. painful small joints of the hands, present in over half of RA patients) and the percentage of patients in the database who were reporting this symptom (10.2%). This may point to under-coding of symptoms, which would have an impact on treatment. Future studies may build on these findings delving more deeply into the differences in RA symptoms among different ethnic groups, including their underlying causes and their clinical implications.

Arthritis affects a large proportion of the population in the US and worldwide, and the burden falls more heavily on those who struggle to access care, as well as those who are not served equitably within healthcare settings. This Arthritis Awareness Month, consider how you might be able to contribute to our understanding of these disparities and help to cure them.

References

Fallon, E. A., Boring, M. A., Foster, A. L., Stowe, E. W., Lites, T. D., Odom, E. L., & Seth, P. (2023). Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis - United States, 2019-2021. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 72(41), 1101–1107. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7241a1

Desilet, L. W., Pedro, S., Katz, P., & Michaud, K. (2023). Urban and Rural Patterns of Health Care Utilization Among People With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis in a Large US Patient Registry. Arthritis Care & Research (2010). https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.25192

d'Elia, A., Baranskaya, A., Haroon, S., Hammond, B., Adderley, N. J., Nirantharakumar, K., Chandan, J. S., Falahee, M., & Raza, K. (2024). Prodromal symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in a primary care database: variation by ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Rheumatology (Oxford, England). Advance online publication.

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Himmelfarb Library provides the BrowZine journal reader to library users to help keep current and make browsing journal contents online easy. We are pleased to see an uptick in usage of BrowZine by library users this past year!

Infographic showing increased usage of BrowZine bookshelf, table of contents and full-text downloads for 2022-23

When searching Health Information @ Himmelfarb, the library catalog, you may have seen and used the links to View Issue Contents in catalog records:

Article search result screenshot with Download PDF and View Issue Contents options circled

These links direct users to BrowZine to view journal tables of contents and download full-text when available.

Screenshot of BrowZine table of contents for the journal Infants & Young Children

Library users can set up a BrowZine account and follow journals of interest to them by putting them on a BrowZine bookshelf. Whenever a new issue is published for a bookshelf journal, an email notifying of the new content is sent.

You can access BrowZine from a web browser or download the app for iOS or Android. When using the mobile app you can save articles to read offline later.   

Learn more about BrowZine in our Current Awareness Research Guide.

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Image from Wikipedia Commons.

As we embark on a new year, it is a fantastic time to focus on an often underestimated facet of our well-being: thyroid health. January marks Thyroid Awareness Month, providing an opportunity for students, teachers, and researchers within the field of medicine to understand the importance of a well-functioning thyroid. Beyond its role in supporting our metabolism, the thyroid holds a profound connection to cognitive function and the overall energy levels we feel throughout the day which gives us all the more reason to take a moment to further understand the thyroid, and why promoting thyroid health matters. 

Thyroid imbalances can manifest in symptoms such as fatigue, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and mood swings which may hinder our ability to function during daily activities or study. If you are experiencing unexplained symptoms, it may be beneficial to seek medical advice and also to encourage your patients to as well. Early detection and management of thyroid disorders can not only alleviate symptoms but can also contribute to an improvement in the quality of life. 

This January, Thyroid Awareness Month serves as a timely reminder for universities to actively promote a culture of health and well-being. Encouraging a proactive approach towards health fosters a community that prioritizes both physical and mental wellness.

In many ways, the silent hero in our well-being is the thyroid. If we take the time to understand the profound impact it has on our ability to function cognitively and advocate for regular screenings, we can collectively create a culture that empowers minds and supports the pursuit of knowledge. This thyroid awareness month, let's not only spread awareness but also take concrete steps towards a healthier, more resilient academic community.

Further reading on Thyroid health at Himmelfarb can be found at: 

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Picture of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Mark Stebnicki

As we reflect on the life, work, and impact that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has had on our nation and the world, we are reminded that Dr. King was passionate about activism on racial discrimination, poverty, and health disparities. A great way to honor Dr. King’s legacy and continue his important work is to learn more about anti-racism, inequities, and disparities in healthcare and use this knowledge to help build a more inclusive healthcare system. Himmelfarb Library has some great resources that can help you learn more about these topics so you can put your knowledge into action!

Himmelfarb Resources: 

Himmelfarb’s Anriracism in Healthcare Guide provides information and resources related to antiracism in healthcare including links to professional healthcare organizations centered around diversity and health justice issues, training resources, and links to GW-specific organizations. Browse the Journal Special Collections tab to find journal issues and health news on antiracism-related issues. Antiracism books and ebooks available at Himmelfarb are also included in this guide including: 

The Antiracism in Healthcare Guide also has links to podcasts, tutorials, and videos including:

In addition to the Antiracism in Healthcare Guide, Himmelfarb has a Diversity and Disparities in Health Care collection of books and e-books with nearly 200 books addressing issues of disparity and representation of minority communities in healthcare. 

Advancing the Dream Event:

On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at Noon, SMHS and the Anti-Racism Coalition will hold the 8th Annual SMHS Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture Series - Advancing the Dream: From Dream to Reality - The Journey Continues. This year’s speaker is Dr. Italo M. Brown, MD, MPH. Dr. Brown is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Equity and Social Justice Curriculum Thread Lead at Stanford University School of Medicine. Please join us in room 117 of Ross Hall (virtual attendance via Zoom is available) for this great event!

Flyer for the 8th Annual GW SMHS Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture Series. Information in image is included in blog post.

Student and Professional Organizations:

If you are interested in becoming more involved, consider reaching out to local student or professional organizations such as White Coats for Black Lives or the Antiracism Nursing Student Alliance. Involvement with these and similar organizations can help you put your knowledge into action and offer opportunities for collaboration in furthering the cause of finding solutions to healthcare disparities and opportunities to educate others on issues of health injustices.

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A person of color wearing blue scrubs and polka dotted surgical head covering secures a mask around their face.
Photo by SJ Objio on Unsplash

Himmelfarb Library is proud to support GW Nursing students, faculty, researchers, and staff by providing professional-level, scholarly full-text nursing resources. Today’s post will highlight some of our top nursing databases, journals, books, and guides.

Databases:

CINAHL Complete is one of our most highly used nursing resources! CINAHL Complete provides access to nursing journals and publications produced by the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses Association. In addition to full-text access to 600 titles, CINAHL Complete provides easy-to-understand Evidence-Based Care Sheets and Quick Lessons for a variety of conditions. Topics covered include nursing, biomedicine, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health, and 17 allied health disciplines. 

ClinicalKey for Nursing is another top nursing database available through Himmelfarb. With access to full-text evidence-based nursing monographs, clinical trial modules, books, journals, practice guidelines, and core measures with nursing recommendations, ClinicalKey for Nursing is a great resource for all things nursing-related! 

TelemedInsights, developed by the GW School of Nursing and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, supports interactive self-paced learning to support high-quality, culturally competent patient care using telehealth technology. This great resource is designed for students and healthcare professionals. To access this resource, click the login button. No login or password is required. However, if accessing this resource from off-campus, you must use the GW VPN.

Journals:

Himmelfarb provides access to more than 200 nursing journals! Our most popular, highest-use titles are:

  • American Journal of Nursing (AJN): As the oldest and largest circulating nursing journal in the world, AJN promotes excellence in professional nursing with articles focused on cutting-edge, evidence-based information while providing a holistic outlook on health and nursing.
  • Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA): With content geared to nurse executives, directors of nursing, and nurse managers, JONA is an authoritative source of information on developments and advances in patient care leadership. This journal prides itself in delivering practical, solution-oriented articles that provide the information and tools to help you excel in a changing healthcare environment.
  • International Journal of Nursing Studies (IJNS): IJNS published original research on a wide range of nursing topics including healthcare delivery, organization, management, policy, and research methods.
  • Journal of Advanced Nursing (JAN): JAN publishes articles related to evidence-based nursing, midwifery, and healthcare. Topics include cancer nursing, community nursing, geriatric nursing, home care, mental health nursing, nursing research, and more!

E-Books:

We also have some great e-books available! Notable titles include:

Learn more about Himmelfarb’s nursing resources by visiting our Nursing Guide. You’ll find information about nursing textbooks, and NCLEX resources, as well as information for BSN, MSN, Nurse Practitioners, DPN, and Ph.D. nursing students. We also have a Nurse Practitioners Guide that includes information on physical examination, diagnosis, drug information, links to professional organizations, and evidence-based medicine. Himmelfarb’s Antiracism in Healthcare Guide is another fantastic resource providing resources to help you learn about antiracism and racial bias in healthcare.

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Image of a sheep's body with a wolf's head.
Image by Sarah Richter from Pixabay

We’ve been getting a lot of questions recently about Open Access (OA) journals, and predatory journals, and how to tell the difference between them. Navigating the publishing landscape is tricky enough without having to worry about whether or not the journal you choose for your manuscript might be predatory. The concept of predatory journals may be completely new to some researchers and authors. Others who are aware of the dangers of predatory journals might mistake legitimate scholarly OA journals as predatory because of the Article Processing Charges (APCs) charged by OA journals. In today’s post, we’ll explore the differences between OA journals and predatory journals, and how to tell the difference between them.

Open Access Journals

The open access publishing movement stemmed from a need to make research more openly accessible to readers and aims to remove the paywalls that most research was trapped behind under that traditional publishing model. In a traditional, non-OA journal, readers must pay to access the full text of an article published in a journal. This payment may be through a personal subscription, a library-based subscription to the journal, or a single payment for access to a single article. 

This video provides a great overview of why and how OA journals came about:

OA journals shift the burden of cost from the reader to the author by operating under an “author pays” model. In this model, authors pay a fee (often called an “Article Processing Charge” or APC) to make their articles available as open access. Readers are then able to access the full text of that article free of charge and without paying for a subscription. OA articles are accessible for anyone to read and without a paywall. The author fees associated with OA journals can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. OA journals charging APCs is completely normal and paying to publish in an open access journal is not itself a sign that the title is predatory in nature - this is normal practice for open access journals that helps publishers cover the cost of publication.

Open access journals offer all of the same author services that traditional journals offer, including quality peer review and article archiving and indexing services. Legitimate OA journals have clear retraction policies and manuscript submission portals. There are different types of OA journals, including journals that publish only OA articles, and hybrid journals that publish OA articles alongside articles that exist behind a paywall. To learn more about the types of OA research, check our recent blog post on Green, Gold, and Diamond OA models. 

Predatory Journals 

Predatory publishing came about as a response to the open access movement as unethical businesses saw OA journals as a way to make money off of researchers' need to publish. Predatory journals use the OA model for their own profit and use deceptive business practices to convince authors to publish in their journals. 

One key difference between reputable, scholarly OA journals and predatory journals is that predatory journals charge APCs without providing any legitimate peer view services. This means that there are no safeguards to protect a quality research article from being published alongside junk science. Predatory journals typically promise quick peer review, when in reality, no peer review actually takes place. 

When you publish with a legitimate OA journal, the journal provides peer review, archiving, and discovery services that help others find your work easily. Predatory journals do not provide these essential services. Publishing in a predatory journal could mean that your work could disappear from the journal's website at any time, making it difficult to prove that your paper was ever published in said journal. Additionally, because predatory journals are not indexed in popular databases such as Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, or Web of Science, despite false claims to the contrary, other researchers may never find, read, and cite your research. 

Some general red flags to look for include:

  • Emailed invitations to submit an article
  • The journal name is suspiciously similar to a prominent journal in the field
  • Misleading geographic information in the title
  • Outdated or unprofessional website
  • Broad aim and scope
  • Insufficient contact information (a web contact form is not enough)
  • Lack of editors or editorial board
  • Unclear fee structure
  • Bogus impact factors or invented metrics
  • False indexing claims
  • No peer review information

To learn more about predatory journals, check out our Predatory Publishing Guide.

OA vs. Predatory: How to Tell the Difference

Luckily, identifying scholarly open access journals and predatory journals can be done if you know what to look for, including the red flags listed above. OA journals that are published by reputable publishers (such as Elsevier, Wiley, Taylor and Francis, Sage, Springer Nature, etc.) can be trusted. If a journal is published by a well-known, established publisher, it’s a safe bet that the journal is not predatory in nature. These well-known, large publishers have policies in place that predatory journals lack, including indexing and archiving policies, peer review policies, retraction policies, and publication ethics policies.

Learn more by watching our How to Spot a Predatory Journal tutorial:

Check out the assessment tools available in our Predatory Publishing Guide for more tools that can help you evaluate journals, emails from publishers, and journal websites. There are even some great case studies available on this page to put your newly learned skills into practice! 

For questions about predatory journals, or to take advantage of Himmelfarb’s Journal PreCheck Service, contact Ruth Bueter (rbueter@gwu.edu) or complete our Journal PreCheck Request Form.  

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Decorative image of a black stethoscope, a blank sheet of white paper, and a black pen over a light blue background.
Photo by Tara Winstead

The newest class of Physician Assistant (PA) students has been hard at work since the end of May. Himmelfarb Library has enjoyed seeing so many PA students in the library this summer! We proudly support the SMHS PA program by providing resources and services to help PA students, faculty, and staff achieve their learning, teaching, clinical care, and research goals. 

Himmelfarb’s Physician Assistants Guide is a great starting point when looking for resources as it provides a comprehensive collection of PA-related resources curated on a single site! Physical examination and diagnosis are separated into individual tabs of the guide. When it’s time to start preparing for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), the PANCE tab of the guide has study materials and resources to help you get ready to ace the exam! You’ll also find links to professional organizations and resources for writing and citation support.

Here are some of our favorite PA resources:

Research Databases:

  • PubMed: Find health sciences articles on clinical, basic sciences, and public health information in one easy location. Himmelfarb’s PubMed search filters allow you to easily filter results by systematic reviews, practice guidelines, randomized controlled trials, cohort and case controls, and background and review articles.
  • Scopus: This interdisciplinary database provides citations and abstracts to more than 25,000 journals, and includes full-text access to Himmelfarb-subscribed journals.
  • CINAHL Complete: With coverage of nursing, biomedicine, alternative and complementary medicine, consumer health, and allied health disciplines, CINAHL Complete is a great place to find full-text access to scholarly articles.
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: If you’re looking for a systematic review, this database is a must-search resource! Cochrane systematic reviews use Cochrane’s methodology and seek to identify, appraise and synthesize all of the empirical evidence that meets pre-specified eligibility criteria to answer a specific topic. 

Point-of-Care Resources:

  • DynaMed: This evidence-based resource includes drug and disease information. DynaMed is updated daily, so you can be sure you are getting the most current information. Disease information is presented in an easy-to-read bulleted format and includes epidemiology, etiology and pathogenesis, history and physical, diagnosis, management, complications and prognosis, prevention and screening, guidelines, and patient information.
  • Epocrates+: This evidence-based resource also provides disease and drug information. Disease information is presented in a step-by-step approach that covers prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Journals:

PANCE Prep Resources:

  • PA Exam Prep: Practice questions with answers will help you prepare for PANCE and PANRE. PA Exam Prep has customizable features that allow you to select topic coverage, choose the number of questions, and annotate exam questions and answers. 
  • Exam Master: This resource has question banks to support studying for PANCE and PANRE. Create a free personal account to access the content.

Books:

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