To assist the faculty member in completing section 6 of the UCI IACUC Application to Use Animals in Research, Testing or Teaching.

Here you will find a brief summary of the techniques and resources for conducting a search for animal alternatives. This web site represents a starting point in searching for alternatives to using animals in teaching, research, and testing.

List of possible databases

Before conducting an in-depth search you may want to perform a quick search into a few databases as a means of testing the strategy. Examine the search results and modify your search using key indexing terms from materials that are particularly relevant to your needs. Access to and descriptions of databases appropriate for alternative searches are listed below:
 
 

Types of databases
 

Bibliographic databases (assist with reduction and refinement with providing citations pertinent to PI's field of study) AGRICOLA ALTWEB ALTWEB HUMANE ENDPOINTS ALTWEB PAIN MANAGEMENT BIOSIS MEDLINE via PubMED PsycINFO ISI WEB OF SCIENCE	Research technique resources (factual databases which contain non-bibliographical data from in vivo studies which may replace animal studies) HSDB INVITTOX IMSR TOXLINE
Replacement resources with information about use of non-animal or alternative animal models ALTWEB NORINA	Research studies databases (assist in refinement by finding similar funded studies) CORDIS CRIS CRISP MRC Funded Projects

Why should I choose multiple databases?

The choice of databases to search will be dictated by the subject of the search. Except in the case of very specific information requirements, it is unlikely that a search on one bibliographic database will suffice.

It is often assumed by scientists working in the biomedical disciplines that a quick search on Medline is quite sufficient whenever a literature search is required. However, it has been estimated that the total overlap of records retrieved from the same search performed across Medline and Biosis is no more than 60%. Partly this is due to the fact that the two databases vary in their coverage. For example, Medline does not index many toxicological journals and tends to be slightly biased towards the US literature. The FRAME journal ATLA (Alternatives to Laboratory Animals) is not covered by Medline, but it is indexed in Agricola. Medline and Agricola have an agreement not to overlap on coverage.

Retrieval will also be influenced by the different  indexing policies and indexing systems of the different databases. The extent to which the search is tailored towards different indexing systems will also affect the results. For example, Biosis uses a series of concept codes which can be very useful to limit a search to a certain broad area, for example immunology, before inputting any specific search terms.

Factual databases which contain non-bibliographical data from in vivo studies, e.g. data on the toxicity of chemicals, should be kept in mind. Information from such a database may sometimes be used in place of a new animal study.

It may in certain circumstances be useful to search engineering and technology databases, in addition to biomedical ones. These may, for example, provide information on the use of computer simulations, modelling, virtual reality, or new non-invasive techniques applicable to human studies.
 

Descriptions of databases

AGRICOLA- AGRICultural OnLine Access (http://web5.silverplatter.com/webspirs/start.ws?customer=uci): Bibliographic database of citations to publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, including animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, extension and education, food and human nutrition, and earth and environmental sciences. Coverage 1984-present.UCI users only.

ALTWEB - (Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing web site) (http://altweb.jhsph.edu): Use the search box to find information on alternative procedures (e.g., draize eye irritation) or handling (frog housing).

ALTWEB HUMANE ENDPOINTS (Euthanasia) DATABASE - (John Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing sub-site) (http://apps1.jhsph.edu/altweb/humane/index.cfm): This database is designed to help investigators find the earliest "endpoint" that is compatible with the scientific objectives of their research. An endpoint may be defined as "the point at which an experimental animal's pain and/or distress is terminated, minimized, or reduced by taking actions such as killing the animal humanely, terminating a painful procedure, or giving treatment to relieve pain and/or distress."

ALTWEB PAIN MANAGEMENT (Anesthesia/Analgesia) DATABASE - (Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing sub-site) (http://www.altwebsearch.org/aadb/aadb_search.cfm): It provides information about available drugs and the side effects of commonly used drugs. Citations are from publications that have published laboratory animal studies or human clinical studies with relevance to animal research. This database covers the period 1990 to the present

BIOSIS Previews (http://uclibs.org/PID/100004): Provides citations for journals (6,000+), books, conference proceedings, and technical reports in the life sciences and biology. Many citations include abstracts. Coverage: 1969-present. UCI users only.

CORDIS- Community Research & Development Information Service (http://www.cordis.lu/en/home.html): This site provides information on current research projects in the European Union and gives access to documents concerning the EU Framework programmes as well as to other EU information sources. The site is not particularly user-friendly and can be very slow at peak times.

CRIS- Current Research Information System (USDA/CRIS) (http://cris.csrees.usda.gov/): Contains current research projects sponsored by USDA research agencies. Covers biological and behavioral sciences.

CRISP- Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Project (http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/): Contains research projects supported by the US Public Health Service (PHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAA). Includes current and past projects. Coverage: 1972-present.

HSDB- Haxardous Substances Data Bank (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?HSDB): Focuses on the toxicology of potentially hazardous chemicals. HSDB is organized into individual chemical records, and contains over 4500 such records. It is enhanced with information on human exposure, industrial hygiene, emergency handling procedures, environmental fate,regulatory requirements, and related areas. All data are referenced and derived from a core set of books, government documents, technical reports and selected primary journal literature.

IMSR- International Mouse Strain Resource (http://www.informatics.jax.org/imsr/index.jsp):  Provides information on transgenic animals and targeted mutations. The IMSR is a searchable online database of mouse strains and stocks available worldwide, including inbred, mutant, and genetically engineered mice. The goal of the IMSR is to assist the international scientific community in locating and obtaining mouse resources for research.

INVITTOX ON LINE (http://embryo.ib.amwaw.edu.pl/invittox): A database of in-vitro techniques in toxicology. Provides protocols with detailed methodologies. Free registration required.

ISI WEB OF SCIENCE (http://uclibs.org/PID/12610): On-line version of ISI Citation Indices. Covers over 8,000 international journals in the sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. Science coverage 1900-present (Abstracts from 1991-present). UCI users only.

MEDLINE via PubMED: (http://uclibs.org/PID/10353)- Citations and abstracts for articles published in journals in medicine, life science and health administration. Limit via BIOETHICS Subfile. Coverage 1966-present.

MRC Funded Projects Database ( http://fundedresearch.cos.com/mrc/mrc-intro.html): A database of medical/scientific projects funded by the UK Medical Research Council.

NORINA- Animal Alternatives Database (http://oslovet.veths.no/NORINA): Provides information on primarily audiovisual alternatives and other aids such as CD-ROMs to the use of animals or animal products in education. This database covers about 4000 products, including audiovisuals, multimedia presentations and computer simulations which can replace the use of animals in education.  Each record provides a description of the product, related references, contact details for the producers and details of price.

PsycINFO (http://uclibs.org/PID/20972):  Contains citations to articles in over 1,300 professional journals, conference proceedings, books, reports, and dissertations in psychology and related disciplines. Most citations include abstracts. Coverage 1887-present. UCI users only.

TOXLINE (http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?TOXLINE): TOXLINE is the National Library of Medicine's extensive collection of online bibliographic information covering the biochemical, pharmacological, physiological, and toxicological effects of drugs and other chemicals. It contains more than 3 million bibliographic citations, almost all with abstracts and/or indexing terms and CAS Registry Numbers.

Guidelines

1. Search keywords.
The first step in beginning the search process is to conceptualize the information you are seeking into keywords and a search question. Computer-based information searching is often limited by terminology used and organization of the data base. A basic search on the topic of your research needs to be performed and then that collection of citation searched for alternatives.

Possible "keywords" to use may include:

• Description of protocol (especially unique technique terms)
• Species being used
• Organ systems involved
• Acronyms (CNS, BSE, MAb)
• Names of hormones, enzymes, pharmaceuticals used (both chemical and trade)
• Authors in the field

2. Alternatives Searching
The second step is to formulate this collection of citations into an alternatives search. Most alternatives searches concentrate on finding citations that will show your protocol design is the best balance of reduction (fewest animals) and refinement (best use of animals and design of destressing procedures). The 3rd "R" replacement is exploring the use of alternative or non-animal models similar enough to the PI's field of study that comparable data could be derived.

3. Characteristics of Poor Searches
While the perfect alternatives search can not be described, a poor search will have some of the following features:

• Only 1 database searched
• Search terms only for painful aspects of procedures
• The term "alternative" is used alone with no other alternative terms
• Keywords listed are not relevant to protocol
• Keywords and concepts linked in an incorrect manner
• Search doesn't cover adequate time period (5-10 years)

Searching hints

1. Finding alternatives keywords.
Because of the variety of animal alternatives associated with the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) there are many terms that may be used in an alternatives search.

The best selection of terminology will depend not only on your information needs but the indexing system of the database you are using to locate materials. Keyword lists can also be generated from past searches. Although tailored to the CDL/MELVYL system, the list of animal alternatives terminology (developed by the UC Center for Animal Alternatives) can be used as a starting point:

RESEARCH  USE WORDS

adver# alternative# analges# or sedative# anesthe# or anasthe# or anaesthe# animal model# animal testing alternative# anxiolytic# assay# or technique# or technic# or method# behavioral enrichment environmental enrichment

fish or cephalopod# euthanasia handling housing or facility design or caging immobil# monitor# device# restrain# tranquiliz# welfare or pain or stress or distress

Combine the unique key words from your research study with the appropriate general terminology words from the list above to develop a search that may be used to find appropriate information..
 

2. Zero results found and how to correct
If you are getting zero (0) results when you perform a database search one of your search terms is not being found in the database. You will get zero results if any of your terms in an "X AND Y AND Z" search is incorrect. This may be corrected in one of the following ways:

• Mis-spelled term. Check your spelling. Try British and American spellings. Try truncating the word ( i.e. anesthe#) so you are searching on the root of the word.
• Term is not included in database "vocabulary". Eliminate one term from your search (i.e. instead of  find : "A and B and C and D" try "A and B and D".) Use synonyms for a term (i.e. "endpoint" instead of "euthanasia"). Use a broader term ( "surgery" instead of "terminal surgery".)
• Subject or author is not in the database. Consider trying another database (databases are subject specific). Consider the date coverage of the database (some only cover newer material, some are updated infrequently.)

3. Too many citations or too much information
If you are getting too many results your search may not be specific enough to help you analyze your protocols. Many of the databases and search tools have ways to "limit" your search to a more relevant set of items.

• Limit your search by date. Instead of searching the entire database, limit the search to the last 5 years.
• Add a specific or unique term. Often a protocol is defined by a specific technique or organism.
• Choose a specific type of literature.  Many of the bibliographic databases include editorials, reviews, letters, etc. Often there is a way to limit your search just to research articles.
• Limit your search by language. Many of the bibliographic databases will have English abstracts but the actual article is not.

In order to assist you in getting started the following incomplete searches have been done as examples in Medline via PubMED and AGRICOLA. By executing these searches you will then have a set of results you can limit by specific keywords unique to your research.  This is not a replacement for doing your own keyword searches but it allows a quick examination of the literature before a more specific search is executed.

Rat Searches

Clicking on any of these will set in motion a search of the current literature, using a previously designed search strategy.

MEDLINE via PubMED:(note: search cover all of database 1966-present)
(http://uclibs.org/PID/10353)
 
 

Searches having to do with caging, handling, and keeping rats Caging (keywords= rats + caging) Enrichment (rats + environmental + enrichment) Handling (rats + husbandry and handling) Refinement (rats + refinement) Stress (rats + stress + animal welfare) Welfare (rats + animal welfare)

Searches having to do with surgical and other distressing procedures on rats Anesthesia (keywords=rats + anesthesia/veterinary) Blood sampling (rats + (blood specimen collection/methods) Craniotomy (rats + craniotomy) Cardiac Perfusion (rats + cardiac perfusion) Euthanasia (rats + euthanasia) Heart Arrest (rats + heart arrest + brain) Implanted brain electrodes (rats+ implanted electrodes + brain) Brain microelectrodes (rats + microelectrodes + brain) Implanted electrodes or microelectrodes in the brain (rats + (implanted electrodes or microelectrodes) + brain)

 

AGRICOLA (note: UCI has access to a different version of AGRICOLA with UC eLinks (see above). This is the public version so we can demonstrate these "canned searches"):
(http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/)
 
 

Blood sampling (keywords= rats + blood sampling )  Enrichment (rats + environmental enrichment)  Euthanasia (rats + euthanasia)  Pain (rats + pain)  Refinement (rats + animal use refinement)  Replacement (rats and animal use replacement)  Welfare (rats + animal welfare)