*TDB-AID*: A COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION (CAI) PROGRAM FOR ONLINE LABORATORY SAFETY AND HEALTH INFORMATION SEARCHING (TOXICOLOGY DATA BANK, MEDLARS)

Exposed to a wide variety of hazardous chemicals on the job, laboratory scientists need a comprehensive and accurate source of toxicology and hazard information. Such information should be accessible through chemical names, molecular formulas, and other chemical descriptors. The Toxicology Data Bank (TDB) of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) meets this need. Basic instruction in the use of TDB, however, is necessary for effective retrieval by motivated laboratory scientists. A Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) program called *TDB-AID* has been developed and designed to instruct these laboratory scientists in the basic information they need to access and understand the TDB. Information categories in the TDB covering toxicology, physical-chemical properties, and chemical descriptors are interpreted and explained through use of a tutorial and active student interaction. This program was written in PILOT computer language on an IBM 370 computer. Nine employees of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Food and Drug Administration laboratories used *TDB-AID*. Test results indicated an increase in ability to understand and access TDB with *TDB-AID* usage, thus making TDB easier to use for laboratory scientists.