Saturday, May 19, 2012

What if I don't fit into the categories for ATHENS passwords? 

Many of the resources and services within The Knowledge Network are freely available for everyone to use, whether or not you register for username and password. Free resources include MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Social Care Online, and several hundred fulltext journals. You will also find evidence summaries, guidelines, policy documents, patient/service user information, articles and reviews, evaluated health and social care e-learning resources, and much more.

Note that special "walk-in" access to fulltext, journals, books etc is available to members of the public via libraries and information centres in the NHS and wider community. Please contact ann.wales@nes.scot.nhs.uk if you want to find out more about this.

You may still be able to register for a special password if you don't belong to the ATHENS categories, but you won't get access to all the fulltext journals, books and databases.

This special password will still enable you to create your own personal homepage in The Knowledge Network - "My Home". Here you can choose your preferred Quick Links and News and alerts.  Your username and password also enables you to create your own web space in the My Community Space and My Resource Space areas of Knowledge for Care Scotland. You can create and join online communities  - Shared Spaces and community websites. Many members of our online communities come from outside Scotland or from outside health and social services. Your password also allows you to save resources and share them with others.

If you edit your personal profile and accept terms and conditions you can tag resources with keywords so that you can organize them, find them again easily, and share them with others. Editing your personal profile also enables you to share your subject interests and experience with others.

You are advised to check first with knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk about eligibility to register for these services.