Thursday, June 29, 2017

New HoofSearch documents give busy equine professionals a one-stop lifeline to newly-published global research

horse foot science farriery

The time has come: After almost two years in the incubator (and the library), a new service is finally available to all. HoofSearch is a little on the nerdy side; it is designed for those of you interested in research--and eager to keep up with it. The press release below explains all you need to know about this new project. If you are truly interested in the science side of hoofcare and lameness, I hope you will subscribe. If you decide not to, you'll still have The Hoof Blog, and I'll always be here for you.
--Fran Jurga


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
29 JUNE 2017
GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS (USA)-- “Isn’t there a new study on the effect of uneven feet on racehorse performance?” “What’s the latest research on equine canker?” “Didn’t I hear that someone published a new hoof biopsy technique? I went online, but I couldn’t find it…”
Put away those sticky notes. Stop leafing through that towering stack of unread journals. Go ahead and delete all those out of date content alert emails, too. There’s a new way to stay current on the latest equine research.
HoofSearch--the synergistic intersection of the hoof and research--is a streamlined updating service that acts like a professional football team’s scout report. Monthly guide documents collect metadata on new peer-reviewed research, academic papers and conference proceedings covering foot research, lameness, anatomy, imaging and related topics. 

How does it work? Once a month, subscribers receive an email. Clicking within it takes them to a new edition of the HoofSearch list. It is a private web page: linked citations launch users to all points of the equine science academic publishing compass, delivering them directly to papers in dozens of peer-reviewed journals, where they can read complete abstracts, download articles, or just capture citations and bookmarks for return visits.
Why HoofSearch? The mission of HoofSearch is to help users stay current and organized, without feeling time-challenged, excluded by subscription walls or guilty of not keeping up. American publisher Fran Jurga developed the service after hearing veterinarian friends complain about database frustrations and time limitations, while farriers had no way to find out about the mass of new studies related the foot. Researchers and students described searching multiple databases in their specific interests as “time-consuming” and “inefficient”. Veterinary college librarians bemoaned the lack of “selective dissemination of information” (SDI) services in equine science.
HoofSearch hoof research

What will it do? In addition to notifying subscribers about new papers, HoofSearch documents self-build a keyword-searchable archive for each subscriber. HoofSearch can be viewed via free mobile apps as well as its primary browser-based version. 

What will it open? The list carefully differentiates Open Access papers from those requiring subscription/library sign-in. Almost half the entries are free to read via Open Access or publisher policy. Even articles that require subscription or library sign-in access still offer free access to full abstracts and other information that can be valuable.
Fran Jurga comments, “Everywhere professionals are involved in helping horses with foot problems, the push is on to both be able to access and build on a comprehensive body of research. HoofSearch brings subscribers into the middle of this exciting sector of equine science, and steers them efficiently to new science-based literature on the horse's foot. These reports will become the hoof prints that history will use to track how this newly expanding field of research contributes to the improved welfare and soundness of our horses in the future.”
A subscription to HoofSearch is US$119, worldwide, for 12 editions. The current edition will be sent on receipt of a subscription order.
Learn more about HoofSearch:

Important things to know before you subscribe:

  • HoofSearch is not a printed or printable periodical. It is a view-only website.
  • HoofSearch lists peer-reviewed research and review papers, along with university theses, journal-published conference proceedings and new patents.
  • Free apps are available to use and store HoofSearch on smartphones and tablets.
  • HoofSearch requires Internet access.
  • The HoofSearch portal recognizes only one email address per subscriber. 
  • Subscribers are responsible for their own Internet and/or wifi access, browsers, and sign-in to the platform. 
  • Some journal publishers require subscriptions to view or download papers, others do not. Abstracts, however, are viewable in full. Each month is different.
  • HoofSearch listings are in English only. Depending on how your browser is set up, the Google Translate dashboard tool or Chrome extension may auto translate for you. Browsers vary.
  • HoofSearch is protected by copyright and may not be copied, shared or duplicated.
  • Every effort will be made to support subscribers with questions submitted via email.
More about Hoofsearch:


HoofSearch is the first offering in a planned series of specialized topics in equine practice. A similarly-organized index of worldwide equine-assisted therapy and learning research and publications will join the stable in July 2017.
HoofSearch (ISSN 2573-6094) is a new project from Hoofcare Publishing, located in a rambling Federal-era National Historic Landmark building on the waterfront in salty Gloucester, Massachusetts (USA). Started by Fran Jurga in 1985, Hoofcare enjoys being known as the flagship for innovation in publishing new hoof-related information and research for and by veterinarians, farriers, researchers, technicians, horse professionals and students. In addition to HoofSearch, Hoofcare publishes the popular “Hoof Blog” and manages publishing projects and social media for equine-related corporations, publishers and charities. Fran Jurga’s services are available as a freelance or contract writer and editor.

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