Searching the veterinary literature: a comparison of the coverage of veterinary journals by nine bibliographic databases

Grindlay, Douglas J.C., Brennan, Marnie L. and Dean, Rachel S. (2016) Searching the veterinary literature: a comparison of the coverage of veterinary journals by nine bibliographic databases. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 39 (4). pp. 404-412. ISSN 1943-7218

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Abstract

A thorough search of the literature to find the best evidence is central to the practice of evidence-based veterinary medicine. This requires knowing which databases to search to maximize journal coverage. The aim of the present study was to compare the coverage of active veterinary journals by nine bibliographic databases to inform future systematic reviews and other evidence-based searches. Coverage was assessed using lists of included journals produced by the database providers. For 121 active veterinary journals in the “Basic List of Veterinary Medical Serials, Third Edition,” the percentage coverage was the highest for Scopus (98.3%) and CAB Abstracts (97.5%). For an extensive list of 1,139 journals with significant veterinary content compiled from a variety of sources, coverage was much greater in CAB Abstracts (90.2%) than in any other database, the next highest coverage being in Scopus (58.3%). The maximum coverage of the extensive journal list that could be obtained in a search without including CAB Abstracts was 69.8%. It was concluded that to maximize journal coverage and avoid missing potentially relevant evidence, CAB Abstracts should be included in any veterinary literature search.

Item Type: Article
RIS ID: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/825449
Keywords: evidence-based veterinary medicine, databases, searching, systematic reviews, veterinary literature
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Veterinary Medicine and Science
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.1111.109R
Depositing User: Eprints, Support
Date Deposited: 13 Dec 2016 14:54
Last Modified: 04 May 2020 18:18
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/39358

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