IACUC Alternatives Search Help

This page outlines resources to fulfill the literature search requirement for animal research. More information can be found on the CSU Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) website athttps://www.research.colostate.edu/ricro/iacuc/

Animal Alternative Requirement

If your protocol involves procedures at Pain Categories D and E, you must conduct a literature search in a minimum of two databases which demonstrates:

the work is not unnecessarily duplicative of previously documented work
the fewest number of the lowest order of animals will be used to obtain valid results
alternatives to EACH potentially painful/distressful procedure proposed have been sought.

Databases

Key databases for searching for animal alternatives.

CAB Abstracts 1973 - present
Maximum Concurrent Users: 4
Coverage: 1973 to present
Provides access to literature in the applied life sciences, including agriculture, environment, veterinary sciences, plant sciences, mycology and parasitology, food science, human health, and nutrition.
MEDLINE (PubMed)
Coverage: Varies
Comprised of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher websites.

Web of Science
Provides seamless access to current and retrospective multidisciplinary information from approximately 8,700 of the most prestigious, high impact research journals in the world.
SciFinder Scholar
Before using SciFinder Web Edition, you must register for SciFinder Web Edition
SciFinder finds references to biomedical research using the CAplusSM and MEDLINE databases and allows you to search by chemical or substance.
more...less...
This vast collection of scientific information allows you to easily explore a wide range of biological disciplines, such as:
- Genetics, proteomics, and diseases
- Biochemistry, biology, and biotechnology
- Toxicology
- Waste management
- Nutrition, food, and agricultural sciences
- Pharmacology and pharmaceutical development
It also allows you to explore research in:
- Diseases and metabolic pathways
- Biomarkers
- Gene expressions and gene therapy
- Antibodies
- Biologics
- Metabolomics
- Transciptomics
- Drug-target interactions
- Enzymes and proteins
- Small molecules
- Biotechnology
- Nucleic acids
- siRNA...and more

Databases by Subject

The CSU Libraries provide access to many databases that can help fulfill the search requirement for animal alternatives. To help you get started, here is a list of the most relevant library databases for some important categories of animal research.

Please Note: PubMed is a free version of Medline. You may use either Medline or PubMed for your search, not both. Accessing PubMed from the links below will activate the FindIt@CSU button and provide you with complete access to the CSU Libraries' online journals and ILL services.

Agricultural Animal Husbandry & Production Techniques Instruction

Primary: CAB Abstracts, Agricola, Web of Science
Secondary: Biological Abstracts (1969-2009 not updated)

Animal Science Research: Includes Feed Trials, Production Efficiency, Herd Health, Metabolism

Primary: CAB Abstracts, Agricola, Web of Science
Secondary: Biological Abstracts (1969-2009 not updated)

Basic Biology

Primary: CAB Abstracts, Web of Science, Medline via PubMed or Medline (EBSCO), Biological Sciences
Secondary: Biological Abstracts (1969-2009 not updated)

Biomedical Sciences Basic & Applied Research for Human & Animal Health: Includes Oncology, Infectious Disease, Reproduction, Physiology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Opthalmology

Primary: Medline via PubMed or Medline (EBSCO), Web of Science, CAB Abstracts,
ALTBIB (Resources on Alternatives to the Use of Live Vertebrates in Biomedical Research & Testing)
Secondary: Biological Abstracts (1969-2009 not updated)

Clinical Trials—veterinary and human

Primary: Medline via PubMed or Medline (EBSCO), Web of Science, CAB Abstracts
Secondary: Biological Abstracts (1969-2009 not updated)

Drug Discovery

Primary: Medline via PubMed or Medline (EBSCO), Web of Science,
ALTBIB (Resources on Alternatives to the Use of Live Vertebrates in Biomedical Research & Testing)
SciFinder (SciFinder offers searching of Chemical Abstracts by chemical, structure, reaction - includes Medline records)