Animal Research Alternatives: Database Search Help

• Select an appropriate database depending on your topic (Database selection guide)
   
• Focus your search by consulting a database's unique help pages.
  Some databases will have related UToledo library help guides [box to the right]
   
• Go back to the completed  Worksheet for Animal Testing Literature Searching - Before searching the literature.
  Return to the Listing of Keywords/Concepts
   
• If the datatabase has a thesaurus, use the generated keywords to find subject headings.
   
• Use keywords if no relevant subject headings are found, or if there are too few results
  Consider using keywords and subject headings for more complete search results.
  Use wildcards to search for variant endings (model* will search for model, models, modeling, etc.).
  Wildcard characters *,#, $) vary among databses.
   
• Start with single concepts.
  Use AND to narrow the search  (primate AND replacement)
  Use OR  to broaden the serach (pain OR stress OR well-being)

• Use available limits in the database when appropriate (time period, type of article, etc.)

[Adapted from: UC Davis Center for Animal Alternatives Information]

Most databases have help pages. The Mulford Library has created a number of additional help guides for these databases mentioned in this guide. Links to all Mulford Library help guides are available.

• Biosis Previews includes basic and advanced search tip
   
• Pubmed
  
         PubMed Online Training  (PubMed Guide)

Searching PubMed (including MeSH)   (Mulford Library Guide)

• APA Psycinfo

Quick Reference Guide: APA Psycinfo on EBSCO (PDF)

APA Psycinfo Library Guide   (Mulford Library Guide)

• Web of Science
  • Web of Science LibGuide
  • Web of Science Core Collection

This help guide is also useful for Web of Knowledge.
Web of Knowledge has databases the Core does not, as Biosis.
Web of knowledge includes option to exclude Medline records (Refine results in left column --> Databases)