IACUC Literature Searches: Database selection

Database Selection

Once you've figured out what information you're going to be looking for and decided on a set of keywords to use, you need to figure out what databases you'll need to search. There is a lot of variety in the types of materials covered by different databases, as well as the timespans and overall scope covered, so making sure you select databases that are relevant to your research is a very important step.

Please note that Google Scholar is not a research database. It can be useful for finding some relevant articles and similar research projects, but it is not acceptable to be included for the purposes of your IACUC application.

Databases A-Z
The databases on this page are suggestions. You can see our complete listing of databases at the A-Z list.

Biology

AGRICOLA This link opens in a new window
Containing bibliographic records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library, AGRICOLA provides millions of citations relating to the field of agriculture. Citations are comprised of journal articles, book chapters, theses, patents, software, audiovisual materials and technical reports to support agricultural research.
Subjects include: animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, and extension and education.
Biological & Agricultural Index Plus This link opens in a new window
Biological and Agricultural Index Plus is a database of full-text articles, indexing and abstracts from essential biology and agricultural research journals. It is a valuable tool for those studying the agricultural industry, veterinary science, wildlife management and environmental science.
Subjects include: agricultural research, biology, environmental, science, genetics, horticulture, physiology, veterinary medicine, and wildlife management.
PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed is the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) freely accessible interface to the MEDLINE bibliographic database, covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, biomedical engineering, the health care system, and the basic biomedical sciences.
MEDLINE contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts from biomedical journals published in the United States and other countries. The database contains citations dating back to the mid-1950's. Journal articles are indexed for MEDLINE using NLM's subject heading system, MeSH (Medical Subject Headings).
Web of Science (All Databases) This link opens in a new window
NOTE: If prompted, please enter your MU credentials. Do not select “Institutional Sign In.” Clearing web browser cookies and cache may also fix access issues
Use Web of Science to perform a cited reference search, where you can look up an article and see how many times it has been cited. Databases can be searched together or separate and include: Web of Science Core Collection: Science Citation Index (1900-present), Social Sciences Citation Index (1900-present), Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975-present), Conference Proceedings Citation Index (1975-present), Book Citation Index (2005-present), Emerging Sources Citation Index (2015-present), Current Chemical Reactions (1985-present), Index Chemicus (1993-present). Web of Science Additional Databases: BIOSIS Citation Index (1926-present), BIOSIS Previews, Current Contents Connect, Data Citation Index (1900-present), Derwent Innovations Index, KCI - Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, Russian Science Citation Index, SciELO Citation Index, Zoological Record (1864-present). Users may encounter content in this database the library has not purchased.

Psychology

PsycINFO (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new window
PsycInfo is the world's largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. Produced by the American Psychological Association (APA), it is an indispensable tool for the discovery of global scholarly research.
Subject include: psychology, speech pathology and audiology, nursing, gerontology, social work, American studies, educational psychology, educational leadership, disability studies.
PsycNET This link opens in a new window
Use PsycNET to search PsycARTICLES and APA e-books for an array of subjects related to psychology. References include international material and in several languages. Users need to create an account to enter the database.
Web of Science (All Databases) This link opens in a new window
NOTE: If prompted, please enter your MU credentials. Do not select “Institutional Sign In.” Clearing web browser cookies and cache may also fix access issues
Use Web of Science to perform a cited reference search, where you can look up an article and see how many times it has been cited. Databases can be searched together or separate and include: Web of Science Core Collection: Science Citation Index (1900-present), Social Sciences Citation Index (1900-present), Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975-present), Conference Proceedings Citation Index (1975-present), Book Citation Index (2005-present), Emerging Sources Citation Index (2015-present), Current Chemical Reactions (1985-present), Index Chemicus (1993-present). Web of Science Additional Databases: BIOSIS Citation Index (1926-present), BIOSIS Previews, Current Contents Connect, Data Citation Index (1900-present), Derwent Innovations Index, KCI - Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, Russian Science Citation Index, SciELO Citation Index, Zoological Record (1864-present). Users may encounter content in this database the library has not purchased.

Medicine

PubMed This link opens in a new window
PubMed is the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) freely accessible interface to the MEDLINE bibliographic database, covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, biomedical engineering, the health care system, and the basic biomedical sciences.
MEDLINE contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts from biomedical journals published in the United States and other countries. The database contains citations dating back to the mid-1950's. Journal articles are indexed for MEDLINE using NLM's subject heading system, MeSH (Medical Subject Headings).
CINAHL Plus with Full Text This link opens in a new window
This comprehensive research database provides full-text for nursing and allied health journals indexed in CINAHL Plus. Additional materials include full-text evidence-based care sheets, quick lessons and continuing education modules.
Covers a wide range of topics including nursing, biomedicine, health sciences librarianship, alternative/complementary medicine, consumer health and 17 allied health disciplines.
Web of Science (All Databases) This link opens in a new window
NOTE: If prompted, please enter your MU credentials. Do not select “Institutional Sign In.” Clearing web browser cookies and cache may also fix access issues
Use Web of Science to perform a cited reference search, where you can look up an article and see how many times it has been cited. Databases can be searched together or separate and include: Web of Science Core Collection: Science Citation Index (1900-present), Social Sciences Citation Index (1900-present), Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975-present), Conference Proceedings Citation Index (1975-present), Book Citation Index (2005-present), Emerging Sources Citation Index (2015-present), Current Chemical Reactions (1985-present), Index Chemicus (1993-present). Web of Science Additional Databases: BIOSIS Citation Index (1926-present), BIOSIS Previews, Current Contents Connect, Data Citation Index (1900-present), Derwent Innovations Index, KCI - Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, Russian Science Citation Index, SciELO Citation Index, Zoological Record (1864-present). Users may encounter content in this database the library has not purchased.

Alternatives Searching | Reduce, Refine, Replace

AGRICOLA This link opens in a new window
Containing bibliographic records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library, AGRICOLA provides millions of citations relating to the field of agriculture. Citations are comprised of journal articles, book chapters, theses, patents, software, audiovisual materials and technical reports to support agricultural research.
Subjects include: animal and veterinary sciences, entomology, plant sciences, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, farming and farming systems, agricultural economics, and extension and education.

Animal Welfare Institute | Refinement Database
Database on refinement of housing, husbandry, care and use of animals in research. This database is updated every three months with newly published scientific articles, books, and other publications related to improving or safeguarding the welfare of animals used in research. Links to the full text for publications that appear in open access journals or are published on the AWI website are provided under the abstract.
more...less...
This is a publicly available database. It's not a library subscription.

Additional Resources

While not appropriate database selections, the following are valuable resources to consult for animal care guidance.

AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals.
Sikes, R.S., and the Animal Care and Use Committee of the American Society of Mammalogists. 2016. 2016 Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the use of wild mammals in research and education. Journal of Mammalogy 97: 663‐688. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw078

Video Tutorials

If you need a quick introduction to a database, check out these videos from you librarians at Miami.

STEM Resources - Video Series
Databases covered include: SciFinderN, Knovel, Engineering Village, Web of Science, GeoRef, IEEE, and PubMed.
Miami University Libraries Instructional Videos
Assorted library tutorials, not just database tutorials.

Last Updated: Jan 3, 2025 2:23 PM
URL: https://libguides.lib.miamioh.edu/iacuc
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