Compiled by:
The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center

Updated, February 2008

This resource is part of our Sustainable Agriculture: Information Access Tools tutorial which identifies the best sources that address sustainable agriculture, research and information sources, contacts and experts, research funding sources, educational and career opportunities, and upcoming events.

This information sheet identifies electronic databases that can answer frequently asked questions from SARE grant applicants:
Who else is working in my topic area? Has my project been attempted before?
Are there related research efforts that I might link with?
Where are the best places to look for in-progress and recent research?

• Research Project Databases Online
  • Best Bets
  • Also of Interest

• Published Literature Databases Online (Indexes to Books, Journal Articles, Papers, Dissertations, and Reports)
  • Best Bets
  • Also of Interest

• Quick Search Term Glossary
  
  
• For additional databases, see the AFSIC directory of Searchable Sites and Databases

Research Project Databases Online: Best Bets

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) National Projects Database
URL: http://www.sare.org/projects/index.htm
Contains: Titles, descriptions, dollar amount, years, and investigator information about all previously and currently funded SARE projects (approximately 2500 since 1988). Can be searched by keyword, title and project number; and within region or state; or by type of project.
Search tips: To list all projects nationwide, or within a region or project type, leave the search term box blank.
See "How to Search the SARE Database of Projects," http://www.sare.org/projects/howtosearch.htm

Current Research Information System (CRIS)
URL: http://cris.csrees.usda.gov/menu.html
Contains: Descriptive records for all types of currently funded USDA research -- projects at USDA agencies (including CSREES Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants), State Land Grants and Experiment Stations. Individual SARE projects are NOT listed here, only the grant titles/amounts distributed to regional offices. Additional database "subfiles" include ICAR (Inventory of Canadian Agri-Food Research) and SIS (Science Information Systems of the Biological Resources Division (BRD), USGS). Most project records include references to related published literature.
Search tips: Select "Assisted Search"; use the "Search CRIS Full Text" boxes; select "CRIS" subfile to avoid searching non-U.S. data. Wildcarding is automatic.
"Change Format" options box at the head of the search results page provides a range of detail for downloading. See "Search Help for New Users," http://cris.csrees.usda.gov/star/srchhelp.html

Also of Interest

USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS), National Program/ Research
URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/Research.htm
Current ARS research project records (about 1200); click on "Find Research Projects" for keyword searching.

TEKTRAN - Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System
URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/services/TekTran.htm
Selected published or soon-to-be-published articles of recent research results from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA]

AANRO- Australian Agriculture & Natural Resources Online
URL: http://www.aanro.net/search.htm
Options to search: All Databases; Publications; Publications Archive; Current Research and Research Archive. Australian Land and Water Research Portfolio: http://www.aanro.net/LWA/htm/basic.htm

CARIS - Current Agricultural Research Information System
URL: http://www4.fao.org/caris
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) database of current agricultural research projects being carried out by, or on behalf of, developing countries.

Resarch Projects at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Projects Starting in 2007
URL: http://www4.agr.gc.ca/AAFC-AAC/display-afficher.do?id=1183664104632&am;lang=e

Published Literature Databases Online (Indexes to Books, Journal Articles, Papers, Dissertations, and Reports): Best Bets

AGRICOLA (AGRICultural OnLine Access)
URL: http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/
Contains: Two searchable bibliographic databases, one indexing book titles (NAL Catalog), and the other: Article Citation Database. Emphasis is on USDA, Experiment Station, and U.S. journal documents. Bibliographic citations only, some with abstracts.
Search tips: Many SARE reports are cataloged in the articles database; add "SARE Project" to your search terms. See also: "How to Search Both Databases at Once" for combined book and journal article searching. Search help: http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/help/buildersearch.htm

AGECON Search - Research in Agricultural and Applied Economics
URL: http://agecon.lib.umn.edu/
Contains: "Full text copies of scholarly research in the broadly defined field of agricultural economics including sub disciplines such as agribusiness, food supply, natural resource economics, environmental economics, policy issues, agricultural trade, and economic development." Full text papers are available in PDF format.
Search tips: Using menu boxes and buttons, search any of the words used in the citations and abstracts.

CAB Abstracts
Contents: Bibliographic records citing research and development literature of agriculture including forestry, animal health and the management/conservation of natural resources. International and comprehensive. Bibliographic citations only, most with abstracts.
Available on a fee-basis only. Contact your university library for access, or AFSIC for complimentary searching. More information about the database: http://www.cabi.org/datapage.asp?iDocID=165

Also of Interest:

AGRIS
URL: http://www.fao.org/agris/search/search.do
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). International information system for the agricultural sciences and technology; literature citations contributed by 240 national, international and intergovernmental organizations since 1974.

Aquatic Sciences & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA)
Available on a fee-basis only. Contact your university library for access, or AFSIC for complimentary searching. More information about the database: http://www.csa.com/factsheets/aquclust-set-c.php

Biological & Agricultural Index Plus
Available on a fee-basis only. Contact your university library for access, or AFSIC for complimentary searching. More information about the database: http://www.hwwilson.com/databases/bioag.cfm

BIOSIS Previews
Includes Biological Abstracts
Available on a fee-basis only. Contact your university library for access, or AFSIC for complimentary searching. More information about the database: http://scientific.thomson.com/products/bp/

Scopus
Available on a fee-basis only. General abstract and citation database of research literature and quality Web sources. Contact your university library for access, or AFSIC for complimentary searching. More information about the database: http://www.info.scopus.com/

Zoological Record
Available on a fee-basis only. Contact your university library for access, or AFSIC for complimentary searching. More information about the database: http://scientific.thomson.com/products/zr/

Quick Search Term Glossary

Boolean Searching: Combining multiple words or phrases in a search query using AND (+), OR and NOT (-).
Examples: "hogs AND sustainable" retrieves only items in which both terms appear; "sustainable OR organic" retrieves items where either term appears; "sustainable NOT organic" excludes all items where the term organic appears.

Phrase Searching: Searching a set of words as an exact phrase, either by typing in quote marks, by using a command or clicking a button.
Example: "sustainable agriculture" retrieves only items where these terms appear as a phrase.

Truncation: Searching multiple variations of a word by using a symbol (called a wildcard), usually an asterisk, to represent the variable parts of the term.
Example: "sustainab*" retrieves sustainable, sustainably, and sustainability.

See also: The Language of Electronic Searching: A Search Terms Glossary.

For more information about databases, database searching on sustainable agricultural topics, or to request complimentary searches, please contact:

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
National Agricultural Library
U.S. Department of Agriculture
10301 Baltimore Avenue, Room 132
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
(301) 504-6559; fax: (301) 504-6927
E-mail AFSIC
http://afsic.nal.usda.gov

Please make requests for searches at least 3 weeks before the grant proposal due date.