Publications and Bibliographies

Reviewed by Domenico Bonanni, Arizona State University Libraries, Tempe, Arizona, March 2001.

Ecology Abstracts: A Research Tool for Environmental Anthropology via Cambridge Scientific Abstract's (CSA) Internet Database Service (IDS), Version 5.0, 2001. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, 7200 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, phone 800-843-7751. The primary delivery of Ecology Abstracts is directly from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts via IDS. Ecology Abstracts may also be delivered via CD-ROM, or magnetic tape. Ecology Abstracts is also available from National Information Services Corporation (NISC). CSA provides the database in full, from 1982 to present. Ecology Abstracts is sold as a site license with unlimited usage. Pricing is contingent upon FTE, and consortia agreements may be negotiated. A fact sheet is available at: Ecology Abstracts

Introduction:

Environmental research has always been an important aspect of scholarly anthropology work. With the increase in environmental concerns in the last 20 years, the field of anthropology has made significant contributions to the general environmental research field. Some environmental approaches in anthropology include paleoecology, primate ecology, ethnoecology, pastoral ecology, human adaptability studies, and landscape ecology. Environmental anthropologists interested in these areas find the research is very interdisciplinary in scope and beyond the breadth of traditional anthropological research tools. Rated by diversity of coverage and relevance to environmental anthropological research, Ecology Abstracts stands out as being a valuable bibliographic tool for current research in the ecological approach to anthropology. Of the two interfaces available (Cambridge Scientific Abstracts IDS interface or National Information Services Corporation (NISC) CD-ROM), this review is based upon the CSA Web based interface called Internet Database Service (IDS).

Scope and Coverage:

CSA's Ecology Abstracts has over 215,500 records in the database. Records range in time from 1982 to present. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts adds 1,300 new bibliographic citations, with abstracts, per month to the database. CSA also adds Web related citations to the database on a monthly basis. These Web based sources are selected by experts in the field of ecology.

Ecology Abstracts includes all of the bibliographic citations available (since 1982) in the CSA print equivalent, Ecology Abstracts (which has greater time coverage because it begins in 1980). Ecology Abstracts sources includes academic literature available in journals, books, published conference proceedings, and governmental reports such as publications from the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Ecology Abstracts indexes 278 serials for inclusion in the database. There are three levels of coverage included in the index, core, priority, and selective. Core sources are indexed cover-to-cover; all articles in each issue are included. Priority sources are the next level of coverage, which includes over 50 percent of the articles in each issue. The selective sources level of coverage includes less than 50 percent of the material. Haas, et al., in "Ecology and Ecosystem Management: Core Journals and Indexes (p. 10)," conducted a study on the level of coverage available in Ecology Abstracts and other environmental journals. Using a sample of core journals indexed between 1990-1996", Ecology Abstracts retrieved five times as many records on the topic of "ecosystem management" than did the database BIOSIS (128 in BIOSIS compared to 686 in Ecology Abstracts). Haas, et al. (p.16) further illustrate that Ecology Abstracts indexes the core ecology titles more completely than BIOSIS. A listing of journals indexed can be displayed via the database by clicking on the Ecology Abstracts fact sheet, available on the first menu. It is also available from the CSA Web site at Serials Source List

Ecology Abstracts indexes articles in many languages. However, based upon a test search by this reviewer, 90% of the articles indexed in the database are in English. All of the citations include abstracts. Regardless of the original language of the published item, all of the citations and abstracts are in English, though foreign publications do include summaries in other languages. Using the "Advanced Search" mode, users can easily limit the search by language or summary language.

Environmental anthropologists will find the sum and substance of current ecology research across a wide range of disciplines in Ecology Abstracts. According to CSA, the subject focus of the database is on how organisms of all kinds - microbes, plants, and animals - interact with their environments and with other organisms. After conducting preliminary searches based on current environmental research reported in the article, "Environments and Environmentalisms in Anthropological Research: Facing A New Millennium" (Little, p. 254) some relevant topics for anthropology covered in the database include evolutionary biology, economics, and systems analysis as they relate to ecosystems or the environment. The article identifies the journal Human Ecology as being a key forum for the field (Little, p. 256), and this journal is indexed by Ecology Abstracts. Due to its diversity and ample coverage in the field of ecology, the database may be used as the primary tool for ecology research. Environmental anthropologists will appreciate knowing that the transdiscipinary subject scope of environmental anthropology, including cultural ecology, ecosystem ecology, evolutionary ecology, ethnoecology, historical ecology, and global ecology, are well represented.

The geographic scope of Ecology Abstracts is truly global. The Descriptors field (DE) includes terms for continents, countries, states, and cities. A keyword search by this reviewer using the terms "human ecology and deforestation" yielded search results that included countries such as Ecuador, Kenya, Brazil, India, Nepal, Venezuela, Zambia, and the United States. Unfortunately, the database cannot be searched by Geographic Area field code, so researchers will have to use either a Keyword or Descriptor search. A majority of the publications represented are from the Americas and Europe, but research in countries such as China, Japan, and Russia is also included.

Format and Organization:

Cambridge Scientific Abstracts uses a Web based interface called Internet Database Service (IDS) to deliver their bibliographic databases. For this review, Ecology Abstracts was accessed via the Internet using IDS version 5.0 on the MS Explorer browser (Version 5.5). When started, IDS opens the browser window with the IDS interface. At the top of the browser window, there is a default header that gives users access to background information on CSA, fact pages for databases available from CSA, contact information, links to other CSA databases, and access to online help pages. The browser window is split into two screens. On the left side, the researcher may select a "Quick Search" or "Advanced Search" feature, and on the right side of the screen, the CSA database files are listed. Depending on the contractual agreement with CSA, the researcher does have the option to switch to any of the 50 available bibliographic databases offered by CSA. At Arizona State University, CSA has scripted the browser to default to the Ecology Abstracts file. Ecology Abstracts is a subset of the larger database collections Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, and depending on how it is configured, researchers at some institutions may need to search these larger databases in order to access the Ecology Abstracts file.

Electronic Record Structure, Retrieval, and Display:

IDS uses the AltaVista search engine for both the "Quick" and "Advanced" search features. Researchers who are experienced with database and Internet searching will find the "Quick Search" and "Advanced Search" forms easy to use. The "Quick Search" option is the default, so at the top of the left frame, under the title "Quick Search", a text box search window is available to enter search terms. The search window allows users to input single or multiple terms, up to 50 characters in length. A drop- down list allows a researcher to conduct a "Keyword" search of the Title, Author, Descriptors, and other identifier fields. Users may also choose to search for words in Title only, in Author, or in Journal Name (Source) fields. The "Anywhere" option may be used to search for the words in all fields of a record. The text box allows for multiple "Keyword" searching. A radio button option allows the users to search using "Exact Phrase," "Any of the Words," or "All of the Words." Choosing "Exact Phrase" will allow the researcher to find records that contain all words appearing exactly as entered. Choosing "Any of the Words" will allow the user to find records that contain one or more words, as if to find GIS or remote sensing. Choosing "All of the Words" will allow the user to find records that contain all words entered, not necessarily adjacent, as if to find paleoecology and Anasazi. Using a drop-down list, users can limit their searches by specifying date ranges. The default range is from 1982 to the current year. At the bottom of the "Quick Search" frame, users can select a drop-down list to specify how to sort search results (whether by relevancy or publication date) and how the results will be displayed, either by citation only, citation and abstracts, or full record.

After entering a single keyword or multiple keywords in the search text box, the user must then click on the "Search" button. As of this review, hitting the enter key will not enact a search. The search results are then displayed on the right side of the browser window. The result lists are separated into three different categories: a list of records from EcologyAbstracts, a list of new records, some not yet in the database, and a list of Web related resources. Users can toggle between the different listings, by simply clicking on the category of interest. The default result list is the listing of records from Ecology Abstracts, so if you were interested in the Web related resources, you would click on the Web Related list to see the results in the window. The brief citation labels (default setting) list the Title, Author, and Source fields. Unfortunately, the citation field labels are abbreviated, so users will have to learn what the abbreviations represent, (e.g.) SO = Source field.

The full citation and abstract are easy to read and very complete. The record lists are displayed in groups of 25, so if there are more than 25, the researcher has to select the next group at the bottom of the screen. At the top and bottom of the screen there is the option to Save/Print/Email records. Because the window is divided into two frames, the current search, either "Quick" or "Advanced", is always displayed on the left-hand side of the window. Users can at anytime input a new search term or revise the previous search by manipulating the search box and pull-down menus on the left side of the screen. To conduct another search, simply select the "Search Again" button at the bottom of the left frame.

The "Advanced Search" has two options for more sophisticated searching. First, users can use the Search Strategy text boxes at the top of the right hand side of the frame to combine up to four terms. The Search Strategy text boxes are separated by a series of pull-down menus that allow you to combine the search terms using Boolean logic (AND, OR, NOT). Proximity operators (WITHIN, NEAR, BEFORE, AFTER) are another available option. To the left of each of the Search boxes are a series of pull-down menus. Researchers can use these pull-down menus to choose from 19 fields (e.g. Author, Title, Agency, Editor, and Source) to target their searches. As in the "Quick Search" form, users may truncate their terms by using the wildcard character "*" to expand a term (e.g. environment*), and by using the "?" to find a single character wild card for alternate spellings (e.g. wom?n). For more sophisticated searchers, there is a Command-Line Search box at the bottom of the right frame. Users can enter complete search strategies using Boolean operators and field codes. For example, entering de=dental and py=(1990 or 1991) retrieves records with the publication year (PY) of 1990 or 1991 that have dental in the Descriptors field. If you enter a search in both the Search Strategy boxes and the Command Line box, only the search in the Command-Line box will be retrieved. Altogether, both the "Quick" and "Advanced" search options are easy to use and learn. Users familiar with using Internet search engines and Web based databases will have a particular advantage.

The following field codes are found in the records of Ecology Abstracts.

They are listed in alphabetical order by two-letter code.
AB = Abstract LA = Language
AF = Author Affiliation NT = Notes
AN = Accession Number NU = Other Numbers
AU = Authors OT = Original Title
CA = Corporate Author PB = Publisher
CF = Conference PT = Publication Type
CL = Classification Code PY = Publication Year
DE = Descriptors SF = Subfile Name
ED = Editor SL = Summary Language
ER = Environmental Regime SO = Source
IB = ISBN TI = Title
ID = Identifiers TR = ASFA Input Center Number
IS = ISSN UD = Update

Indexing and Subject Areas:

A "Thesaurus Search" is available on the left of the screen, at the bottom of the search window. A Life Sciences Thesaurus provides a set of standard life science terms for subject searching in ecology. The thesaurus indicates to the researcher, which terms to use to retrieve the maximum number of relevant documents. The thesaurus terms describe the contents of publications consistently, and comprehensively. These indexed terms are listed in the Descriptors field (DE=) of each record added to a database so the thesaurus terms may be searched in the Descriptor field for comprehensive subject searching. The "Thesaurus Search" allows the researcher to browse for terms via a hierarchical, alphabetical, or rotated index display. These display formats allow you to navigate the thesaurus alphabetically or through the hierarchical relationships between related terms. After finding appropriate terms, you can submit a search for those terms in the database Descriptors field.

User Guidance:

IDS provides easy access to online help on all of its windows and search screens. There is a help button that is always present in the top right hand side of the screen. Also, at the top of the screen, there is a consistent header that provides quick access to other useful information such as background information on CSA; information on electronic journals and databases available; news, hot topics; information on the IDS service; support information; and contact information. Finally, next to some items (e.g. "Your Search" text box and the summary of search results) there is a blue "I" icon that, upon clicking, takes the researcher directly to the online help. CSA also can provide, upon request, a handy one-page, double- sided Quick Reference Card (for all IDS databases) to subscribers and libraries. The Quick Reference Card is also available on the CSA Web site in PDF format.

Document Availability:

IDS does not provide online document delivery. The database prompts the users to consult their college or university library or inter-library loan office for full- text documents cited in the database. CSA does provide a listing of organizations that can fulfill full-text document requests. Of course, each has it's own particular requesting procedure and payment requirements. There is also a "Locate Document" option available on each citation, which will allow the researcher to link to the institution's online catalog, or it's e-journal subscription databases.

Comparisons with Related Resources:

Environmental anthropologists may consider supplementing their research with BIOSIS Previews (corresponding to the Biological Abstracts database), a Web accessible database available from Silverplatter via their WEBSPIRS interface. Although BIOSIS reviews indexes a greater number of articles in ecology and related sciences (Haas, p.16), Ecology Abstracts indexes (at the time of the article) 23 core ecology journals more completely. For comprehensive research in the environmental sciences and environmental anthropology, researchers should compliment a search in the subject-focused database Ecology Abstracts with the broader multidisciplined BIOSIS Previews for complete subject coverage.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Geographic subject searching would improve if a geographic field code were added to the citation record. This would give the researcher the ability to more easily limit a search to a specific geographic area. The addition of a "Search History" option in the "Quick Search" mode would provide novice searchers an easy way to replicate their searches. At the time of this review, a search history option is restricted to the "Advanced Search" mode only. Currently, CSA provides general help pages for all of the IDS databases. A subject specific help page designed with Ecology Abstracts in mind could provide environmental researchers insight on how to use the database most effectively. Although the database does have anthropology related journals (Human Ecology; International Journal of Primatology; Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Remote Sensing of Environment), environmental anthropology researchers would benefit with the addition of such journals as Journal of Political Ecology; Capitalism, Nature, Socialism; Worldviews: Environment, Culture, Religion; and Terra Nova: Nature and Culture.

Positive Aspects:

The greatest value of Ecology Abstracts is its interdisciplinary scope. Although it was not designed with the environmental anthropologist in mind, its focus on how organisms interact with the environment makes it relevant to anthropological research on such topics as ecosystem management, land reclamation, and evolutionary biology. Ecology Abstracts' comprehensive coverage is supplemented with a Web Resources database. Editors at Cambridge Scientific Abstracts create records, complete with links, to selected academic, governmental, scientific, and technical Web resources. Both "Quick" and "Advanced" searches will retrieve these records. All links are checked monthly to ensure that URL's are current. The "Recent References Related to Your Search" service supplements Ecology Abstracts by providing daily updates of citations from over 1000 journals in the biological, aquatic, and environmental sciences which may not appear in Ecology Abstracts until the next monthly update. Due to its diversity of coverage and relevance to environmental anthropological research, Ecology Abstracts proves to be a valuable bibliographic tool for environmental anthropologists.

References Cited:

Haas, Stephanie C. , Lee, Catherine W., Battiste, Anita L., "Ecology and Ecosystem Management: Core Journals and Indexes." Science & Technology Libraries 18(1999): 3-24.

Little, Paul E., "Environments and Environmentalisms in Anthropological Research: Facing a New Millenium." Annual Review of Anthropology 28(1999): 253-284.

Scigliano, Marisa, "Biological Sciences Database." The Charleston Advisor 1 (January 2000).