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Science and Technology Sources on the Internet
Animal Testing Alternatives: Online Resources
Elizabeth Choinski
Science Librarian
University of Mississippi Libraries
ulemc@cypress.mcsr.olemiss.edu
Research scientists who are using animals as test subjects are required by the
Animal Welfare Act (7 USC 2131-2156) to consider
alternatives to animal
testing prior to beginning a research project. These investigators are required
to search the literature for alternatives and to supply their findings to their
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). If no alternatives are
available, investigators must supply to their IACUC a written description of their
search history and databases used to look for alternatives. The Animal Welfare
Information Center (AWIC) of the National Agriculture Library provides in-depth
information, in a question and answer format, concerning why literature searches
must be conducted for animal testing alternatives and provides definitions of
alternatives (Kreger 1998).
When the Animal Welfare Act took effect, literature searches were
primarily accomplished using paper indexes or by employing the services of
an information professional who could do mediated searches using databases
from DIALOG, BRS, or other dial-up search services. Shevell and James (1995) discuss the role of the information specialist in
terms of providing mediated searches. They stress the particulars of an
effective reference interview with the investigator. They provide a
detailed discussion of search methods and strategies available to the
information specialist. Likewise, AWIC provides tips for doing a
literature search that emphasizes communication between the information
specialist and the investigator as well as the search strategies that are
likely to be useful when searching CD-ROM based databases (Smith 1994). Snow provides very specific examples of
searching Biosis Previews, Medline, EMBASE, and other databases via a
dial-up connection to DIALOG (1990).
With the advent of web-based bibliographic databases and web sites full of
information, the roles of the research scientist and librarian have
changed. Many scientists do their own searching now. Instead of providing
search services, librarians may be called upon to educate end users in
navigating web-based sources of information. Librarians may even be called
upon to help investigators with regulatory compliance concerning their
search for animal testing alternatives. Based on personal experience with
scientists in an academic research environment, investigators are usually
not too interested in the policy-making or political aspects of animal
rights when they are trying to get their grant proposals finished for a
deadline. They are interested in finding literature specific to their
research topic. This article focuses on bibliographic databases and web
sites that provide information on the scientific aspects of animal testing
alternatives and not on the pros and cons of animal rights.
Bibliographic Databases
The following is a sampling of databases that may be useful for searching for
alternatives depending on the research topic. The selection is not comprehensive
but provides examples of the kinds of bibliographic databases available across a
wide array of disciplines. Some other databases that could be considered,
depending on local availability, include EMBASE, CAB Abstracts, Life Sciences,
Current Contents, Science Citation Index, CancerLit and TOXLINE.
- AGRICOLA - {http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/}
- Covering 1970 to the present, AGRICOLA is freely available from the
National Agriculture Library or as a subscription database. "Contains
bibliographic information on animal care and welfare topics for laboratory
animals, zoo animals, and livestock including: animal care and handling,
humane treatment, animal rights, alternatives to animal testing, and laws
and regulations" (Clingerman et al. n.d.) Because of the
broad scope of the database, it is an excellent source of toxicology
information especially pertaining to agricultural chemicals. Since 1987,
AGRICOLA has used the CAB Thesaurus for applying descriptors to journal
articles.
- BIOSIS Previews - {http://wokinfo.com/products_tools/specialized/bp/}
- Providing the most comprehensive coverage of the biological literature, with over 5,000 indexed titles, this subscription database is essential to the researcher working with animals. Use the concept codes field to retrieve two broad subject areas: testing and nonanimal. BIOSIS can also be searched by CAS registry numbers for information on specific chemicals.
- INSPEC - {http://www.theiet.org/resources/inspec/index.cfm}
- Known as the comprehensive database for physics, computing, and electrical engineering, INSPEC may seem like an odd choice to include when searching for animal testing alternatives. But it is an excellent place to look for applications of artificial intelligence, robotics, computer simulation, neural networks, and cellular biophysics to studies that normally use animal models. INSPEC is only available by subscription.
- International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (IPA) - {{http://www.proquest.com/products-services/ipa-set-c.html}}
- IPA provides information on the development and use of drugs and on the profession of pharmaceutical practice. The scope of the database includes clinical, practical, theoretical, economic, and scientific aspects of the literature. Information on the testing of drugs and cosmetics in animals is available. IPA is a subscription database.
- MathSciNet - http://www.ams.org/mathscinet/
- Another seemingly unusual choice for a search on animal testing alternatives,
MathSciNet provides incomparable access to experimental design techniques that may
be used to reduce the number of animals necessary for testing. For good precision
and recall, it is best to search for design alternatives using the Classification
Codes applied by the database producers. It is available by subscription from the
American Mathematical Society.
- MEDLINE - {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi}
- The first choice among medical researchers, MEDLINE provides comprehensive
coverage of the medical research literature including testing done on animals.
Provided by the National Library of Medicine, the database is available free on the
web as PubMed and as Internet Grateful Med or as a subscription database. It is
recommended that MeSH be consulted for controlled vocabulary access.
- PsycINFO -
http://www.apa.org/psycinfo/
- Medical and pharmaceutical researchers are not the only investigators
that use live animals in their studies. Psychological research often
involves the use of animals for studies on behavior, brain development,
cognition, and other areas of research. PsycINFO provides indexing to
approximately 1,300 journals, reports, various books and chapters, and
U.S. dissertations (taken from Dissertation Abstracts).
Controlled vocabulary comes from the Thesaurus of Psychological
Index Terms. The thesaurus and the database are produced by the
American Psychological Association. PsycINFO is a subscription
database.
- SciFinder Scholar - {http://www.cas.org/products/scifinder}
- Often, testing done on animals means testing of chemicals on animals; chemicals can be drugs, agrochemicals, cosmetic ingredients, industrial solvents or any of a number of classes of chemicals. SciFinder Scholar provides access to Chemical Abstracts as a subscription database. Animal testing of the effects of chemicals is a part of the chemical literature and can be found using SciFinder Scholar. Chemicals can be searched by name, structure, CAS registry number, and molecular formula. The database is produced by the American Chemical Society.
Web Sites
Academic Libraries
The following three academic libraries provide excellent tutorials for their end
users on how to search the literature for animal testing alternatives. Information
specialists who are developing web-based tutorials at their own
institutions would
do well to study the format and content of these sites.
- University of California Center for Animal Alternatives - http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/Animal_Alternatives/main.htm
- Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, Yale University - {http://www.med.yale.edu/library/reference/publications/animal.html}
- Edward G. Miner Library, University of Rochester Medical Center - {http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/hslt/miner/}
Meta Sites
- Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee -
http://www.iacuc.org/
- Produced by AALAS, the site is an information resource for members and staffs
of institutional animal care and use committees. Web sites are organized for IACUC
member purposes and include areas such as institutional guidelines, online
journals, organizations, and regulatory watch.
- Lab Animal - {http://www.labanimal.com/laban/}
- Lab Animal is a peer-reviewed journal for scientists performing
animal research. The full contents of the journal are only available in paper. A
search engine allows keyword and citation searching of titles and abstracts of all
issues of the journal. Its greatest value may be in the numerous links to other
online sources, arranged by general subject area.
- Medicina Veterinaria -
{http://biblioteca.saludnet.com.co/medicina_veterinaria.htm}
- A huge list of veterinary related web sites including animal welfare
and testing related sites from around the world.
Government Information
- Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) - {http://awic.nal.usda.gov/}
- AWIC, produced by the National Agriculture Library, is the major federal government source for information on animal care, testing, and general welfare. AWIC provides information on proper care and use of laboratory animals, alternatives to animal testing in research and education, training materials for laboratory animal personnel and investigators using animals, improved and refined research methodologies, animal care and use committees, and other areas pertinent to animal welfare.
- Alternatives to Animal Testing Bibliographies - {http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/altbib.html}
- The bibliographies are produced by the NLM's Special Information Services. "The
focus of the bibliography is to assist in identifying methods and procedures
helpful in supporting the development, testing, application, and validation of
alternatives to the use of vertebrates in biomedical research and toxicology
testing. Relevant citations in the bibliography are organized by subject and
include abstracts if available." Currently, the bibliographies cover 1992-1999;
they were produced from searches performed in MEDLARS databases.
- Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare -
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/olaw.htm
- This office of the NIH oversees regulatory compliance relative to Public Health
Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals involved in research
conducted or supported by any component of the Public Health Service.
General Information
- Alternatives to Skin Irritation Testing in Animals -
http://www.invitroderm.com/
- A non-profit web site developed by Dr. Jane Huggins, the site contains a
bibliography of over 300 scientific articles pertaining to alternatives to skin
testing in animals.
- Altweb: Alternatives to Animal Testing - {http://altweb.jhsph.edu/}
- Altweb's primary goal is to help scientists in academia, industry and
government locate scientifically accurate information about new methods, research
and resources. Here you can find out the latest in research, technology, grants,
corporate-scientific collaborations, government rulings, seminars, databases,
educational resources, and issues and debates in the alternatives community. Johns
Hopkins University hosts the site.
- American Association for Laboratory Animal Science -
http://www.aalas.org/
- Provides a forum for the exchange of information and expertise in the care and
use of laboratory animals.
- Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care
International -
http://www.aaalac.org/
- AAALAC International accredits animal care and use programs throughout the
world. Descriptions of the accreditation process and accreditation applications
are available.
- FRAME: Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments - {http://www.frame.org.uk/}
- FRAME is a charitable organization chartered in the UK that seeks to eventually
eliminate all experimentation on animals. However, FRAME recognizes that the
immediate and total abolition of all animal experiments is not possible at this
time. They provide very in-depth definitions of alternatives, overview of search
basics, search terms and search strategies, and a list of databases available on
the Internet at no charge.
- Guide to the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals - {
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5140}
- An online publication of the National Research Council, the goal of this Guide
is to promote the humane care of animals used in biomedical and behavioral
research, teaching, and testing. The objective is to provide information that will
enhance animal well being, the quality of biomedical research, and the advancement
of biologic knowledge that is relevant to humans or animals.
- Institute for In Vitro Sciences - {http://www.iivs.org/}
- The non-profit Institute provides non-animal research and testing services, as
well as sponsors workshops and training courses in in vitro methods, and
creates a forum where Industry, Government and Animal Welfare proponents can meet
to determine constructive programs that effectively reduce animal use.
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Research - {http://dels.nas.edu/ilar/}
- A part of the National Academy of Sciences, the institute's mission is to
develop and make available scientific and technical information on laboratory
animals and other biological research resources to the scientific community, the
federal government, and the public.
- NORINA Database - {http://oslovet.norecopa.no/fag.aspx?fag=57&mnu=databases_1}
- NORINA provides access to audiovisual alternatives to laboratory animals used in teaching. The database is searchable. It is housed at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science in Oslo.
References
Animal Welfare Act as Amended (7 USC, 2131-2156). [Online]. Available: {
http://awic.nal.usda.gov/government-and-professional-resources/federal-laws/animal-welfare-act}. [May 16, 2000].
Clingerman, Karen J., Dowling, Carol, and Swanson,
Janice C. n.d. Searching AGRICOLA for animal welfare.
Search Tips Series : STS-03.
Kreger, Michael. 1998. Why conduct literature searches for alternatives? ASLAP Newsletter 1997, revised October 1998, 30(3):19-23. [Online]. Available: {http://awic.nal.usda.gov/why-conduct-literature-searches-alternatives}. [May 16, 2000].
Shevell, Judith L. and James, Mary Lou.
1995. Search for animal alternatives and the role of the information
specialist. Contemporary Topics 34(3):65-68.
Smith, Cynthia P. 1994. AWIC tips for
searching alternatives to animal research and testing. Lab
Animal March 1994: 46-48.
Snow, Bonnie. 1990. Online searching for
alternatives to animal testing. Online July 1990: 94-97.