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This section contains answers to the most
frequently asked questions received at the NEMI Website as well as an
index of topics covered on this site. If you cannot find the answer to
your question in these FAQ pages, please
contact us directly.
Click on the category links below to go
to the answers.
BASIC SEARCH HELP
Definitions
of Terms
Help
- Whom do I contact if I need help?
Web Site Content, Access
and Linking
- Can I get the full text of methods online?
- How many methods are available on the
site?
- Can I purchase individual methods?
- What is the Portable Document Format
(PDF)?
- When is the information on this Web site
updated?
- What content and features are available
to whom?
- Can I create a link to NEMI from my own
Web pages?
- What browsers can I use to best view
this site?
- How can I reach the Methods Board to
find out about membership and Board activities?
Copyright and Permissions
- Whom do I contact for permission to use
copyrighted materials?
- How do I order paper reprints of methods?
Methods submission,
website updates, feedback
- How do I get my organizations' method(s)
published in NEMI?
- How do I get notification of updates
of new methods and/or functionality of the NEMI website?
- How do I send feedback about the NEMI
site?
BASIC SEARCH HELP
Quick
Search
1.
Analyte
name search:
There are two options for the quick analyte search: Option 1-A allows
you to search the complete analyte name database in NEMI, including synonyms,
either by complete name or partial name with the use of "wild card"
characters (% sign). To use this option, click on the small square icon
to the right of the text box. As an example of the usage of wild cards,
if you type "nitr%" (w/o the quotes), the search will return
all analytes in the database beginning with "nitr", including
nitrite, nitrate, nitrogen, etc. Option 1-B is simply a text box
where you can type in the analyte name if you know it. Spelling must be
exact.
2.
CAS
number search:
Search using analyte code (*usually the CAS number for chemicals; may
be an identifier from another system in some cases). Need to include dashes
in CAS number; i.e., 14797-55-8.
3.
Search
by method number:
Select the method number from the dropdown list. All methods currently
in NEMI are available from this search option.
Advanced
search
The advanced search option is useful for two reasons:
·
Dropdown
list of analyte names - - you do not have to spell the analyte name.
To scroll through the list, either use the scroll bar or else type the
first letter of the analyte of interest (continue typing the first letter
to scroll through all the analytes beginning with that letter. Note: Only
the "preferred" analyte name (the most common name for an analyte)
is displayed in this search.
·
Restrict
results by selecting additional criteria for searching. These include
the ability to limit methods returned for a selected analyte based on
detection level, method source, and the analytical instrumentation used.
General Search
Look
for methods under general categories, including media (air, water, soil,
etc.), subcategory (organic, radiochemical, etc.), instrumentation, and
source.
Regulatory
Search
Need a method approved for drinking water or wastewater regulations? Start
here.
Useful Information Page
Several other options for accessing methods information are available
here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Help
Q: Whom do I contact if I need help accessing the site
or to contact NEMI or the Methods Board?
A: Although there
is not an official help desk for NEMI, help regarding technical problems
with the use of this site is available within the United States at 608-821-3869
during regular business hours Monday through Friday, with exceptions for
Federal holidays. There are occasions when no one will be available; however,
if you leave a message your call will be returned.
Contact information
for the methods is provided in each method's Method Summary Information
page.
You also may submit inquiries via Feedback.
Web
Site Content, Access, and Linking
Q: How do I use NEMI to select the right method for my
application?
A: NEMI contains
method summaries that include all available information, including literature
citations, from which to make a scientific comparison of one method versus
another, in terms of their ability to meet project-specific requirements.
Many of the methods, especially the older ones, do not have information
available for all of the fields; however, when information is available,
it is included in the database. In fact, the absence of critical information
is, in itself, useful for methods comparison. If, for example, among several
methods available for consideration for a particular analyte, some are
missing important QA/QC metadata information and others have this data,
the methods having this information will tend to be the methods of choice,
all other criteria having been met.
At present (October,
2002), NEMI contains primarily analytical laboratory methods. It
is planned that field collection methods will be added in the near future.
The selection of a method involves more than comparing cost, performance
data, and detection level. To assist in the process, the Methods and Data
Comparability Board is working on an expert system. Click on "Methods
Selection Advisor" in the navigation bar on the NEMI website.
Q: How
can I access the full text of methods online?
A: Users receive
access to freely download the full text of the method, in PDF format,
for publicly available methods from EPA, USGS, and DOE. Private organizations
that have submitted methods for inclusion in NEMI generally sell their
methods. Links to websites for these organizations are included on the
Method Summary Page.
Q: How
many methods are available on the site?
A: The total number
is continually growing. Check the "What's New" page to see recent
counts of methods by various categories.
Q: What
is the Portable Document Format (PDF)?
A: The Portable
Document Format (PDF) of a document is a duplicate electronic copy of
the printed original. Items in PDF can be viewed and printed using the
free Adobe Acrobat Reader available for downloading from Adobe
Systems, Inc. PDFs are protected by copyright just as the rest of
journal content and should not be posted on other Web sites. Users of
PDFs should adhere to Conditions
of Use. For more information about using PDFs, please see PDF
in the General Help Index.
Q: When
is the information on this Web site updated?
A: The Web site
is updated at irregular intervals.
In order to be notified of updates to the site, see the help section entitled
Methods submission,
website updates, feedback.
Q: What
content and features are available to whom?
A: Users receive
free access to all method summaries. Access to full-text PDF files of
public methods are available to download directly from NEMI. Private organizations
are linked from the Method Summary Page for those methods that are available
for sale.
Q: Can
I create a link to NEMI from my own Web pages?
A: Yes. NEMI is
freely available to the public at http://www.nemi.gov/.
Below is HTML code you may cut and paste to an appropriate spot in your
web page.
Q: What
browsers can I use to best view this site?
A: This Web site
is best viewed with Internet
Explorer 4.x or Netscape
Navigator 4.x or newer, for either MAC or PC. Please let us know of
any problems with access to this site you encounter.
Copyright
and Permissions
Q: Whom
do I contact for permission to use copyrighted materials?
A: All information
on this site is public property. No permission is required to download
methods from this site.
Q: How
do I order paper or electronic reprints of articles?
A: Paper copies
may be available from the source organization. PDF files are formatted
to print on any computer printer; it may be a good idea to check the number
of pages in a method if you are unsure if you really need a paper copy
as some methods are very long.
Methods
submission, website updates, feedback
Q: How
do I get my organizations' method(s) published in NEMI?
A: Method information
may be submitted by any public or private organization for consideration
of inclusion. Guidelines for acceptance include: Public availability of
the published full method by a governmental or private sector publisher.
This includes methods that are associated with proprietary analytical
instruments or equipment, copyrighted methods that are sold, and methods
that support the determinative step (e.g., methods for sample collection,
sample preparation, or in-situ analysis). Publication may be with a governmental
or private sector publisher, and includes both printed and electronic
formats. Methods that are published as research articles in journals or
books are acceptable if procedures and performance are well documented,
and there is evidence that the method has been successfully applied to
a large number of environmental samples.
Templates are being developed to facilitate submission of method information,
with all designated mandatory fields completed.
Q: How
do I get notification of updates of new methods and/or functionality of
the NEMI website?
A: Send your email
address to Dan Sullivan (djsulliv@usgs.gov)
and you will be added to a mailing list for automatic updates. (In the
future there will be an online form to automatically sign up for updates)
Q: How
do I send feedback about the NEMI site?
A: Use the
Feedback Form or send email to djsulliv@usgs.gov
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