Environmental sciences coverage of the CAB ABSTRACTS database

Halina Dawson, Content Manager for Environmental Sciences, CABI

CAB Abstracts● “Current File” - 1973 to present● Over 5 million records to date● 200,000+ new records added each year● 6,000+ core sources screened● Over 3,500 other documents, including journals, books,

conference proceedings and some grey literature● Coverage of material in over 50 languages from over 158

countries (20% of environmental records non-English)● Regular updates, weekly for CAB Direct● Over 95% records with abstracts● Powerful search tools including the CAB Thesaurus and

CABICODES

Types of source documents

● Scientific journals● Bulletins● Books● Theses (if published in a series)● Reports● Conferences

Main areas of environmental subject coverage

● Forestry● Soils● Water● Grasslands● Climate change● Biodiversity

Forestry

● Forest management● Forests and forest trees● Agroforestry and community forestry● Non-wood forest products● Wood technology

Soils

● Soil chemistry, physics and biology● Soil morphology, formation and erosion● Soil fertility and management, fertilizer science

and plant nutrition● Soil classification and types● Land resources, land classification, land use and

development● Reclamation and land improvement, pollution● Waste management

Water

● All aspects of hydrology, water resources, supply and management of freshwater, irrigation and drainage

● Water conservation and harvesting● Water treatment, quality and wastewater

management● Water policy, legislation and socioeconomics● Water security, rights and access● Hydraulic engineering● Pollution and public health

Grasslands

● All types of grassland and rangelands covered● Management, ecology and biodiversity● Phytogeography● Reclamation and desertification, grassland

improvement

Climate change

● effects on vegetation types● agroforestry, and crop production and pathogen

management● soil and water management, agrometeorology● human and animal health● economic aspects● tourism● biofuels

Future developments for 2008 – enhanced coverage of biodiversity

● extension of coverage to cover all vegetation types more comprehensively (e.g. tundra, fynbos)

● enhanced coverage of freshwater aquatic biodiversity

● improved coverage of ecology – theoretical and applied

CAB ABSTRACTS primarily seen as an agricultural database - need to appeal to both pure and applied environmental researchers

Why search CAB ABSTRACTS for environmental information?

Comparison of serial cited lists using 222 core environmental titles covered by CAB ABSTRACTS

No. titles %

CAB Abstracts 222 100

Scopus (Elsevier) 129 58

Environmental Sciences database (CSA) 100 45

Biosis Previews (Thomson) 88 40

Environment Abstracts (CIS) 58 26

Windows Academic 12 5

CAB ABSTRACTS Full Text Select

PDFs of journal articles and conference papers in a full-text repository for CAB ABSTRACTS Full Text Select

● 104 Journals – all papers (cover-to-cover)● 130 Conference proceedings ● 15,000 FT records available

CAB ABSTRACTS ARCHIVE

● Covers 1910 to 1972● Equivalent to 600 printed volumes● 1,860,000 records● Re-indexed using the CAB Thesaurus● Compatible with Current CA file● Unique access to long lost material

Thank you.........

Halina DawsonContent Manager for Environmental Sciences

email: h.dawson@cabi.org