OpenAlex (free and open catalog of the global research system)

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A couple of years ago now – a free, openly-available bibliographic search tool called OpenAlex came onto the scholarly research scene and was quickly embraced by researchers worldwide who were upset by the news of Microsoft’s decision to discontinue Microsoft Academic Graph (MAG) at the end of 2021.

Find out more about OpenAlex by reviewing these resources:

Since 2022, OpenAlex has become harder and harder to ignore. In 2024, there’s been several papers exploring its usefulness in bibliometrics and how it compares to its proprietary/commercial competitors, Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Science (Clarivate).

For example:

Interestingly, however, researchers are also beginning to explore its usefulness in systematic review literature searching methodology. Most notably, a free systematic review project management tool called EPPI-Reviewer “has integrated access to over 200 million OA bibliographic records of research articles, connected in a large network graph of concept & citation relationships: the OpenAlex dataset – updated regularly. See here for further information.” (From: https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?alias=eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/er4; EPPI-Reviewer is developed and maintained by the EPPI Centre – the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI Centre) – which is part of the Social Science Research Unit at the Institute of Education, University of London.) 

Not surprisingly, published systematic reviews that include OpenAlex as one of the sources searched are slowly beginning to appear. For example:

The MSK Library’s Systematic Review Service team keeps on top of new resources being used by authors across the globe – like OpenAlex – and other potentially relevant changes in evidence synthesis practice. Feel free to Ask Us whenever you come across a database or web resource that is unfamiliar to you when reading a systematic review!

New eJournal: Hospital Pediatrics

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The MSK library now subscribes to the eJournal, Hospital Pediatrics. This journal is dedicated to pediatric hospital medicine and offers the tools to help provide quick, correct, and targeted medical interventions.

Significant topics include reducing length of stay and lowering readmission rates, optimizing patient safety and quality improvement, caring for children with medical complexity and chronic illness overseeing pain management practices, enhancing communication among units and multidisciplinary care teams, reducing unnecessary testing, and standardizing administration practices, training, coordination of care, and discharge planning.

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Research Advancements, Bacteria That Promote Colorectal Cancer, and More

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  • Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) created an artificial intelligence (AI) tool “that uses data from individual cells” in tumors to predict patients’ response to a specific drug. The report was published in Nature Cancer.
  • Purdue University researchers are developing nanoparticles capable of enhancing immunotherapy effects in cancer treatment. The study was published in ACS Nano.
  • Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania gained insights into how cancer-caused liver inflammation hinders the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. The study was published in Nature Immunology.
  • The researchers from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center found that a specific type of bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, known as related to gum disease, may promote colorectal cancer. These findings pave the way for therapies targeting these bacteria in colorectal cancer patients. The findings were published in Nature Immunology.
  • Researchers from the University of Colorado Cancer Center explored the potential of a two-drug combination, doxorubicin plus bocodepsin, as a promising treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer. The preclinical study paves the way for future human clinical trials. The study was published in Breast Cancer Research.
  • A new multicenter study found that women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer who have high levels of immune cells in the tumor may be at a lower risk of recurrence and have better survival rates. The study was published today in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).