|
Choosing among all of the tools available in NCBI's arsenal of data-mining
software can be overwhelming, like going to an ice cream parlor and making
your selection without being able to taste the different flavors. You can see
all of the different choices, but sometimes it's hard to know exactly which flavor
is the one you want.
Oftentimes, the only way a user can determine which of NCBI's data-mining
tools is right for the job at hand is to examine the online software
documentation. Although the documentation for NCBI's software tools
is excellent and comprehensive, it can be very long because of the
complex nature of these tools. As a result, the novice user can get lost or
confused, and start-up time may be longer than anticipated.
The Getting Started series is designed to be a quick guide to aid
the general public and the scientific community in selecting and using NCBI's
publicly available resources:
-
Members of the general public with an interest in bioinformatics
are provided with an easy introduction to NCBI resources, as well as a
clearly defined starting point from which to conduct their own online
research.
-
Members of the scientific community who understand some of
the theoretical aspects of NCBI's resources are provided with a transition
point between theoretical knowledge and its practical application.
Getting Started does not attempt to discuss the principles behind the
methods used in NCBI resources and will not explore all alternative approaches
that might be used when working with a particular NCBI resource. Instead, each
unit of the Getting Started series provides the user with:
-
A brief description of the kind of data that can be found/manipulated
using a particular NCBI resource
-
Navigation shortcuts
-
Concise explanations of resource graphics
-
Techniques for conducting database searches and
-
Examples of tool usage
The information provided by Getting Started will give the novice user a
starting point for conducting research using NCBI resources that will
work efficiently and that will be easy to use. Click on any link below, or in
the left-hand sidebar, to start exploring one of our many databases or data-mining tools.
|
