Facts and fallacies of doing research: some methodological issues

Abstract: This paper presents some methodological issues in the context of ethnographic fieldwork. These issues include sampling, gaining access, collecting evidence and last but not least the utility of the research. These issues are analyzed with reference to the researcher's personal experience on field work in Hong Kong. While reflecting on the constraints and difficulties of fieldwork, this presentation aims to emphasize the importance of the collaboration between researchers and practitioners. It is hoped that this paper will shed light on the role of both researchers and practitioners in the development of knowledge. Keywords: sampling, gaining access, collecting evidence, fieldwork in Hong Kong Introduction The paper is based on the tradition of ethnographic inquiry where the researcher's experience is treated as an important piece of information. The practical account of the researcher could explain the reality of researching more than any research textbook

Human protein reference database—2006 update

Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD) () was developed to serve as a comprehensive collection of protein features, post-translational modifications (PTMs) and protein–protein interactions. Since the original report, this database has increased to >20 000 proteins entries and has become the largest database for literature-derived protein–protein interactions (>30 000) and PTMs (>8000) for human proteins. We have also introduced several new features in HPRD including: (i) protein isoforms, (ii) enhanced search options, (iii) linking of pathway annotations and (iv) integration of a novel browser, GenProt Viewer (), developed by us that allows integration of genomic and proteomic information. With the continued support and active participation by the biomedical community, we expect HPRD to become a unique source of curated information for the human proteome and spur biomedical discoveries based on integration of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data

Statistics pertaining to HPRD growth, experimental types for protein–protein interactions and a breakdown of PTMs

<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Human protein reference database—2006 update"</p><p>Nucleic Acids Research 2005;34(Database issue):D411-D414.</p><p>Published online 28 Dec 2005</p><p>PMCID:PMC1347503.</p><p>© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved</p> () Growth of HPRD over the last 3 years with respect to protein entries, protein–protein interactions and PTMs. () Distribution of protein–protein interactions in HPRD based on the type of the experimental method. () Distribution of various types of PTMs in HPRD. The percentage of the respective PTM is indicated only when it is greater than or equal to 2