Welcome to AIDScience. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), publisher of Science magazine, has launched this Web site to provide researchers with a premier, centralized and global online source of information on all aspects of AIDS prevention and vaccine development.
This new AAAS venture, supported by an $850,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), has expanded from a small NeuroAIDS Web site, which is devoted to the neurological impacts of AIDS. Our new site will provide a global online forum where scientists can gather and exchange the latest information on AIDS/HIV prevention and vaccine research. The site will publish peer-reviewed articles and reviews, as well as other reports, commentaries, columns, daily features and information resources (see Information for Authors).
The ultimate conquest of HIV may depend on multi-focused strategies, emphasizing prevention and the ongoing search for a cure. Contributing to a reduction in the incidence of AIDS worldwide will be the goal of the new Web site. The Web site will provide scientists on the front lines with the most current and rigorous data available on HIV prevention strategies and vaccine research.
This AIDS prevention Web site is the latest online information service from the AAAS, the world's largest general science organization. Previous successful online ventures of the AAAS have included Science Online; Science's NextWave, serving younger researchers; Science's STKE, an experimental "signal transduction knowledge environment" for researchers involved in cell signaling; and EurekAlert!, which brings research news to some 4,300 journalists worldwide.
KEY FEATURES:
Our goal is to have readers return to the site often and identify the site as a continuously updated and reliable source of information. We will strive immediately to build a loyal community with free access to all of our features. In the long run, we may have some features for subscribers and maintain some free features.
1. Peer-reviewed articles
This virtual journal section publishes original contributions. Generally, scientists with expertise in the field write these articles (see Information for Authors).
Reports. Each of these 3,000-word papers is original scientific research or a thorough review piece about a given topic.
Questions & answers. These 1,000-word papers address relevant questions about AIDS prevention and vaccine research.
2. Perspectives
Policy-makers, leaders in non-governmental organizations, and scientists write non-peer-reviewed reports, commentaries and columns on AIDS prevention and vaccine research (see Information for Authors).
3. Global Projects Map
The Global Projects map is the façade of a comprehensive database of worldwide AIDS prevention research projects, relevant development bank and World Bank projects, and AIDS vaccine trials. The vaccine trial database will be populated and maintained by AIDScience in collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a private organization that promotes the rapid development of an AIDS vaccine. The data in this database will be available in AIDScience and in the IAVI site.
4. News Headlines
The News Headlines section is updated daily with major news media headlines of interest to AIDS research scientists, with a small excerpt or summary of the article and a link to the media source.
5. Journal Headlines
Similar to the News Headlines, the Journal Headlines section contains scientific papers of interest to AIDS researchers. Updated weekly, this feature is a list of top papers that present a significant advancement or a provocative subject.
6. NeuroAIDS Web site
This small Web journal was developed with NIMH funds and is the predecessor of AIDScience. Later this year NeuroAIDS will merge with AIDScience.
7. Collection of full text papers from Science
The Cohen Files. The files are a compilation of articles and columns written by renowned science writer Jon Cohen. This prolific writer has written on HIV and AIDS for Science for several years. The papers will be linked by keywords with articles written exclusively for AIDScience.
Science Classic Articles. A compilation of classic HIV and AIDS papers published in Science since the beginning of the epidemic. The papers will be linked by keywords with our original content articles.
8. Calendar of international meetings
A comprehensive list of scientific meetings and conferences of interest to AIDS prevention and vaccine researchers.
9. Discussion groups
Electronic discussion groups will be attached to every original paper that appears in AIDScience. Users will be able to post messages that will be reviewed for appropriateness by the editors. Readers will also be able to post messages and hyperlinks to other Web resources such as sites, videos or recordings.
10. Reviewed HIV and AIDS sites
On this page we will compile and maintain a collection of links to other HIV and AIDS sites of interest to our readers. Each site will be introduced with a title, a small review of the features and usefulness of the site, and a hyperlink. This feature will be added in the fall of 2001.
