Fall 2001

Update on Drug Discrimination Database

Website Address: http://www.dd-database.org/

The database will contain 3,372 citations when the October 2001 update is in place. I am most grateful to those members of SSPD who have sent lists of their publications to ensure that the database is as comprehensive as possible, and I also thank the many members who returned the questionnaire that we sent out earlier this year.

In the 12 months from June 1997 to May 1998, there were over 8,000 requests for the database home page. During the single month of May 1998, the home page of the Database was requested no less than 2,981 times, perhaps reflecting updating of the database during the previous month. The preceding figures may be compared with those for the period from September 2000 to March 2001, during which the home page was served over 19,000 times (i.e. about 100 times per day). These figures indicate that the site is accessed four to five times more frequently now than three years ago.

During a recent six-month period, an average of 254 pages per day were requested, or about 7,725 per month. These requests originated from 14,174 different visitors. The site transferred a total of 1,381 GB of data to users over this period, an average of just over 7.6 GB of data per day. The busiest weeks for the search engine during the six month period were the weeks beginning 22nd and 29th October and 21st January, a usage pattern that may reflect grant NIH renewals due on 1st November and 1st February, respectively. Regarding file downloads, 385 PC files and 195 Macintosh files were downloaded. The distribution of file downloads probably reflects the relative popularity of PC, Macintosh and other platforms. Sixty-four files were sent using the "email search results to yourself" facility. Due to limitations in the software systems available for quantifying usage of web sites, the real number of requests for the site may be different from those indicated by the preceding data.

Users of the web site are advised that the list of methodological terms is expanded from time to time, and that careful use of this feature enables rather precise searches to be carried out. A browse through this list of search terms that may be seen on the website will give an idea of what is possible.

The future of the database depends largely on the success of the current application for renewal of the NIDA grant that supports it. If the application is successful, the database should be secure for five more years. The intention is to redesign the website to provide enhanced searching facilities and increased convenience for users. The appearance of the site would be changed to give it a more up-to-date look and to reduce any boredom you may have experienced by viewing it so many times, and of course I shall have the resources to update the files regularly as in the past. I would like to end by acknowledging the assistance of Lisa de Smet in identifying and coding the citations, and Jonathan Kamien for maintaining the website and for making many constructive suggestions for developing it.

Ian Stolerman Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London