(Keyword Search):
CAB Abstracts is a bibliographic database compiled by CAB International. It covers the significant research and development literature in the fields of agriculture, forestry, aspects of human health, human nutrition, animal health, and the management and conservation of natural resources.
CAB Abstracts is updated monthly with new records. The date of the last update is given online.
To access the service follow the login details on the service homepage or from your institutional login link. Alternatively, ask your library or computing service if you need assistance.
If your username or password is not recognised, follow the alternative login procedures link.
EDINA is normally available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any planned service breaks will be announced at the EDINA web site.
For more information, contact your local library, or:
Email:
edina@ed.ac.ukor
WWW:
http://edina.ac.uk/cab
After logging into CAB Abstracts, you will be asked to choose a database, or a database segment which represents a particular date range. Click on the database or segment you wish to search.
EDINA CAB Abstracts Main Search Screen
(Keyword Search):
To perform a Standard Search, enter a single subject word or phrase in the Search for box and click on the Search button. The search can be limited by year of publication using the drop-down list. Dependent upon subscription, EDINA CAB Abstracts can cross-search Land Life Leisure. Inclusion of the database is indicated by a checkbox - unchecking the box will exclude the database from the search. The drop-down menu to the right of the search text box provides additional options to the standard search screen:
The Advanced Search function allows multi-field searching; searching across databases; limiting the results by date, record format, language; sorting the results; and specifying the number of results-per-page. It is best used for complex searches.
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Results of browsing for the term "dog".
When using Browse Indexes, enter a word, or start of a word, select from one of the indexes and then select the Browse button. The service will list the 14 terms around the entered Term. The results for each term will be listed per database, and the links for each item will perform the selected search.
The thesaurus will generate a list of related terms based on an entered search term. This list is derived from the Subject index of EDINA CAB Abstracts. You will then be able to perform searches based on these terms.
This is a list of all of the selected records from multiple searches. It will allow you to create a bibliographic list from all of your searches from one session. See more on the reverse of this leaflet about marking records.
Every time you conduct a search, or limit or modify a search in any way, the Search History records this action. All of the searches performed in one session will be listed here, allowing you to return to previous results and combine search parameters to form new searches. You will also be able to use the Previous Sessions button to return to searches from past logons.
To save a search, click on the Save Search button alongside the search query in the Search History page. To access a saved search, click on the Previous session button. To run a save search, simply click the linked search name. Use the Delete Search button to delete. To have new results of saved searches emailed to you automatically each time the database is updated, use the Auto Alert facility. In the Previous Sessions area, tick the Auto Alert button alongside the search query, and enter your email details under Settings, then click the Save Details button. Click on the Current Session button to exit the Saved Search page.
After searching, a list of Records will be displayed. These are individual items that the search has found. The title of each record is a link to the complete record, ie all the information held about that record in the database. If an abstract (a brief synopsis of the article) exists for that record, the complete record will include the abstract. You can also save individual records by marking them. You mark a record by clicking on the mark record box after the record. (This box is represented by a green circle with a square in the centre.) Alternatively you mark or unmark all records on a page by using the appropriate buttons. When a record is marked, there is a tick mark in the box. You are able to sort the record by keyword, title, author and/or subject by using the Sort button on the top left. You can also refine your original search criteria by using the Refine button to return to the search page.
Boolean (and, or, not) operators allow users to combine search terms and result sets to execute a more precise search.
Boolean operators can be specified on the Advanced Search page, on the Refine Search page and elsewhere using drop-down menus. In addition, you may add them to search strings within a text box for searching in a single field.
Truncation refers to using characters that can represent other characters, and is used when you want to search for more than one form of a word. Use * when you want to match any number of characters in a word. Note: you must type at least three characters before a final asterisk. For example,
Brackets "( )" group terms together in a search. For example, chimpanzee and (hiv or (lymphotropic w0 virus)) will find records which contain the word "chimpanzee", and either the term "hiv" or the words "lymphotrophic" and "virus" adjacent to each other in the order given.
Context-sensitive help is available for all parts of the interface. The help option is located on the menu bar. Close the help window and return to the interface.
Please use the exit link when you are finished using the service. You will be automatically logged out after a period of non-use of the interface.
Last updated: October 2006