Biological Abstracts (1980- )
BIOSIS Previews (1980- )

Database Description

Fields in This Database: Authors and Organizations · Titles · Subjects · Abstract · Issue Numbering · Codes
PREVIEWS only: Book Information · Meeting Information · Patent Information

Search Help

Database Description. Biological Abstracts, a leading source of life sciences information, provides abstracts and bibliographic references to worldwide biological and medical literature. Biological Abstracts contains references to journal items focusing on vital biological and medical research findings, pharmacological studies, and discoveries of new organisms.

BIOSIS Previews: Some OhioLINK institutions subscribe to this version, which encompasses both Biological Abstracts and Biological Abstracts/RRM (Reports, Reviews, Meetings). Approximately 5,000 life science journals, 1,500 international meetings, as well as review articles, books, and monographs are monitored for inclusion.

Journal list.

PRODUCED BY: Thompson Scientific.
DATES COVERED: From 1980.
UPDATES: Twice per month (Biological Abstracts) or Weekly (BIOSIS Previews).

Fields in This Database

AUTHORS AND ORGANIZATIONS

AUTHOR (.AU.): Each individual or organization named as responsible on the source document. For a person, last name comes first. Examples:

Cruz-Correa, Marcia
Jacoby, Derek
van der Horst, G.
American Thoracic Society

AUTHOR ADDRESS (.AULK.): Institutional affiliation and address of the first author.

TITLES

ARTICLE TITLE (.TI.): Title of the item described in the citation. Titles are given in English. BIOSIS translates non-English titles into English, enclosed in brackets.

ORIGINAL TITLE (.OT.): Original non-English title of the book or article.

SUBJECTS

The following fields represent subject indexing provided by Biosis. Some components of these fields follow the controlled vocabulary from the BIOSIS Controlled Vocabulary, or Authority File.

SUBJECTS (.SU.): All subject-related terms for keyword searching.

CONCEPT CODE (.CC.): A 5-digit numeric code used to represent a BIOSIS indexing category, plus the descriptive text for the code. Concept Code List.

MAJOR CONCEPTS (.MC.): The broad subject areas covered by the source document. Terms are controlled by the BIOSIS Authority File, Major Concepts. MC also indicates the broader area of which the major concept is a subset.

SUPER TAXA (.ST.): High-level taxonomic terms to permit retrieval of items that refer to broad categories of organisms, including microorganisms. Super Taxa terms are presented in order from lowest level taxa to highest. Terms are controlled by the BIOSIS Authority File, Super Taxa.

TAXA NOTES (.TN.): Common names of broad groups of organisms and microorganisms discussed in the source document. Terms are controlled by the BIOSIS Authority File, Taxa Notes.

ORGANISM DATA (.OR.): The organism classifier (Super Taxa) and corresponding BIOSIS Biosystematic Code for organism(s) discussed in the source document. Terms are controlled by the BIOSIS Authority Files, Super Taxa and Biosystematic Codes (Excel file). Optional additional elements include:

• name of organism as given by the author of the source document;
• type or taxonomic level of the organism name (common, species; controlled by the Type of Name list);
• variant name of the organism;
• type of new taxon (e.g. new genus; controlled by the New Taxon Modifiers list);
• developmental stage (e.g. adult, embryo; controlled by the Developmental Stage list);
• the role(s) of the named organism (e.g. parasite; controlled by the Organism Role list);
• fossil indicator (controlled by the Fossil Modifiers list);
• gender (controlled by the Gender list); and
• additional terms used to describe details of the discussion of the organism (e.g. adaptive mechanisms).

GENE NAME (.GN.): Name of gene, gene family, or loci. Optionally, GN may also contain gene name variations, and/or additional terms used to describe discussion of the gene (e.g. expression). This field was defined in 2001 and does not occur in earlier records.

CHEMICAL DATA (.CB.): Name of chemical or biochemical described in the source document. Optional additional elements include:

• variant chemical name;
• drug modifier, or high-level category of the therapeutic action of the chemical discussed (e.g. anti-parasitic drug; controlled by Drug Modifiers list);
• role(s) of the chemical discussed (e.g. pharmaceutical; controlled by Chemical Role list);
• process(es) of the chemical discussed (e.g. fermentative conversion);
• Enzyme Commission number; and
• additional terms used to describe details of the discussion of the chemical (e.g. biological effects).

REGISTRY NUMBER (.RN.): A 5-to-9 digit CAS Registry Number and chemical name for a chemical discussed in the source document.

DISEASE DATA (.DS.): Name of plant, animal, or human disease, disorder, or pathological condition discussed in the source document. Optional additional elements include:

• variant disease name;
• common disease affiliation (e.g. joint disease; controlled by the Disease Modifiers list); and
• additional terms to describe the discussion (e.g. prevention and control).

MEDICAL SUBJECT HEADINGS (.MESH.): National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Heading for the disease.

SEQUENCE DATA (.SD.): Accession number for a molecular sequence as assigned by a databank and as cited in the source document, plus the name of the databank. SD may contain the CAS Registry Number for the sequence. SD may also contain the type of molecular sequence (e.g. sugar sequence), controlled by the Sequence Type Modifiers list.

PARTS AND STRUCTURES (.PS.): The components of organisms (above the macromolecular level) discussed in the source document, using the author's terminology. Optional additional elements include:

• variant part/structure name;
• high-level organ system to which the part/structure belongs (e.g. digestive system; controlled by the Organ System Modifiers list); and
• additional terms to describe the discussion (e.g. synapse).

METHODS AND EQUIPMENT (.ME.): A method, apparatus, or scientific technique discussed in the source document, using the author's terminology. Optional additional elements include:

• variant terminology for the methods or equipment;
• type of equipment (e.g. photographic equipment);
• name of manufacturer or supplier;
• the role of the methods or equipment (e.g. enzymatic method; controlled by the Methods and Equipment Roles list);
• additional terms to describe the discussion (e.g. protocol).

GEOGRAPHIC DATA (.GE.): Location or place mentioned in the source document, using the author's terminology. Optional additional elements include:

• variant name for the place;
• geopolitical areas in which the place is located (e.g. North Korea, Asia; controlled by the Geographic Classifiers list);
• zoogeographical region in which the place is located (e.g. Neotropical region; controlled by the Geographical Classifiers list).

GEOLOGICAL TIME (.TM.): Geological time period or era mentioned in the source document. TM may also contain a Geological Time Classifier (e.g. Paleozoic, controlled by Geological Time Classifier list), and/or other explanatory details.

MISCELLANEOUS DESCRIPTORS (.MI.): Non-specific keyword indexing, or any term, phrase, or name taken from the source document that is not specific to any of the indexing lists named above.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT (.AB.): Omit stopwords when searching AB.

ISSUE NUMBERING

YEAR (.YR.): Four-digit year of publication.

MONTH (.MO.): Month or season of publication of the article or document; may be abbreviated or spelled out, depending on how it appears on the source document.

VOLUME (.VO.): Volume of the journal in which the article appeared.

NUMBER (.NO.): Number of the issue in which the article appeared.

ARTICLE PAGINATION (.PG.): If you remember the starting page of an article but not the full citation, searching with PG might be useful. Enter the starting page and the truncation symbol $.

CODES

ACCESSION NUMBER (.AN.): Record control number assigned by database producer; unique to each record in the database. Searching by AN is a method for returning directly to a record that you have retrieved previously. Biological Abstracts numbers begin with the prefix BACD. BIOSIS Previews numbers begin with the prefix PREV.

DOCUMENT TYPE (.AT.): Type of the source document. Remember that Biological Abstracts contains primarily journal articles, and that BIOSIS Previews contains all of these document types. Examples:

Article
Book
Book Chapter
Index
Letter
Meeting
Patent
Technical Report
Thesis/Dissertation

ISSN (.IS.): International Standard Serial Number of the journal.

ISBN (.ISBN.): International Standard Book Number of the book.

LANGUAGE (.LA.): Language of the document, spelled out in full.

LITERATURE TYPE (.LT.): Type of content within the source document. Examples:

Checklist
Editorial
Errata
Literature Review
Manual
Meeting Abstract
Meeting Paper
Meeting Poster
Meeting Report
Meeting Summary
Obituary
Software Review
Standard
Taxonomic Key
Taxonomic Review

BOOK INFORMATION (PREVIEWS only)

For book chapters, TI contains chapter title, and BKTI contains the title of the source book. For entire books, TI contains book title, and BKTI repeats the book title.

MEETING INFORMATION (PREVIEWS only)

PATENT INFORMATION (PREVIEWS only)

August 2006

Return to list of Database Descriptions
Return to top of Help