AIP UniPHY Mini Review: Part 2
Jinfo Blog

By Joanna Ptolomey

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Introduction
AIP UniPHY is a literature based professional scientific product with social networking technology layered over to allow, encourage and facilitate connections between people and research output. Focused on the physical sciences, it has applications and uses beyond it and across into the business information sector.

In part 1 of the review of AIP UniPHY (http://www.vivavip.com/go/e24639) we looked at the product's objectives, possible audiences and product uses. In this second part we will take a closer look at the finer details.


Getting started
The gateway into AIP UniPHY is clean and easy on the eye (Figure 1). The two lines of tabs are self explanatory, one for finding and browsing information and the other for managing your own profile and networks.

Help menus are provided here such as FAQs, vendor contact details and privacy statements.

There are 2 key steps to using API UniPHY

1. Building your profile (only if you are an author/co-author)
   
   
2. Building your network
   
   
   

Fig. 1: Home page of AIP UniPHY


Building a profile
If you are an author then you can build a profile using the wizard (Figure 2). If you have issues with accuracy there is a help email clearly signposted.

Fig. 2: Profile Wizard API UniPHY


Building a network
These are 5 ways to build up your network of interests, all of which are fairly easy to use (Figure 3).

1. Search by keyword
   
   
2. Browse by keyword
   
   
3. Search by name
   
   
4. Browse places
   
   
5. Find colleagues
   

Fig. 3: Building up a network by browsing and searching API UniPHY


Example in building a network
A drop down menu, in browse by keyword, to select a broad category, will take you deeper down into the AIP taxonomy (PACS). This allows more precise browsing. If you are a physical scientist then this taxonomy will present no issues of understanding. If however you are a more general researcher/information professional then you may need to do more research for the most appropriate terms. There is no help here or scope notes to explain terms.


Results
The results are presented in 2 ways.

Firstly on a world map (Figure 4). The map shows red squares highlighting worldwide locations of authors. The bigger the square, the greater the concentration of authors working in that specialism.




Fig. 4: Graphical representation of results

Secondly, a list of author names are shown below the map (Figure 5).



Fig. 5: Sample author results of AIP UniPHY

For more information click on the author name and go straight to the full author profile (Figure 6).




Fig. 6: Author profile for building networks API UniPHY

Again, this is a simple interface to use with self explanatory tabs. I like the ‘Network View', a graphical representation (Figure 7) of who this author has worked with, how often they have worked together. The thickness of lines to authors and text highlights with cursor are a nice touch. There is also information on connections and to whom.




Fig. 7: API UniPHY Network View Example

It is on this results page that the networking process starts. There you can invite an author to join AIP UniPHY, or add this author to your contacts, or bookmark this author.


VIP's View
Overall I have taken quite a fancy to AIP UniPHY. It is free, easy to use and understand, even without being a physical scientist. The content has real clout, being taken from a respected peer reviewed literature database. But it is the clever way in which this simple author content information is manipulated, presented and put to good use. It is a valuable little tool.

For part 1 of this mini review, see http://www.vivavip.com/go/e24639

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