CAB Abstracts is an agricultural database that can be accessed through the University of Pretoria library website. It provides instructions on how to construct searches using boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT. Searches can be combined and results can be refined by fields, years, and more. Full records and articles can be viewed. Users are encouraged to register for CAB Abstracts to save searches and set up search alerts that will email new results. The database is also accessible via mobile devices.

1. CAB Abstracts

2. How can I access CAB Abstracts
CAB Abstracts can be accessed from the
Jotello F Soga Library’s
◦ “The Virtual Library in your office” (
http://www.library.up.ac.za/vet/virtlib)
◦ The complete list of databases of the
University of Pretoria (http://
www.library.up.ac.za/eresources/eresourcesaz.ht
)

3. Start from Jotello F Soga
Library website:
www.library.up.ac.za/vet
Click on Veterinary
databases

4. Scroll down on the
displayed list and click on
CAB Abstracts

5. Supply your
student/personnel
number and PIN

6. Starting page of CAB
Abstracts.
Click on Establish a new
session

7. How to construct a search
 Plan your search strategy before you start your search
◦ Formulate your information need e.g. Stress factors in dairy cattle in
South Africa
◦ Select the important keywords from this sentence e.g. stress, dairy,
cattle , South Africa
◦ Always think of all the synonyms of words or terms e.g. (dairy or
milk), (cattle or bovine or cow or cows)
◦ Combine your terms with and e.g. (dairy or milk) and (cattle or
bovine or cow or cows) and “south africa”
 Keep your search simple.
 Remember your Boolean operators (and, or, not).
 Keep in mind the different American and English spelling.
 Two (or more) terms that are always used together, in the
same order, can be use as a term. (e.g. “babesia canis”
and treatment)

8. Boolean operators
 AND
 Use AND to retrieve records containing both search terms: all terms must be included in the
record.
Use AND to narrow your search and retrieve fewer records.
 Example: elephants AND lions retrieve records containing both the keywords.
 OR
 Use OR to retrieve records containing either or both search terms.
Use OR to broaden your search and retrieve a greater number of records.
Use OR for synonyms or spelling variations.
 Remember always to put your terms in brackets when using "or" e.g. (dog or dog or canine)
 Example 1: milk OR dairy retrieves records containing either milk or dairy, or both the
keywords.
Example 3: behavior OR behaviour
 NOT
 Use NOT to exclude certain items from your search.
Caution: It is easy to exclude relevant terms; use the NOT operator with care!
 Example 1: “dog” not “tick” (will retrieve all articles containing the word dog, but will exclude
all articles containing the word tick)

9. Type your search
terms in the
displayed window –
remember about
Boolean search
operators
Select a field
to search

10. The results of
your search

11. Repeat a
search with a
second search
term

12. The results of the
second search
To combine the
searches click on
Search History

13. Select the sets
you wish to
combine and
choose and/or

14. The results of the
combining process.
Click on the number
of results to view the
complete list

15. The results of the
combined sets

16. The number of
results / page
can be
changed

17. To view the full
record click on the
title of the article

18. The full
record
Article title
Authors
Journal information
Abstract
Author’s e-mail address
Full text access

19. The Full text article

20. Results can be
refined with the
help of Subject
areas, Document
types, Publication
years, Source
titles etc.

21. Selected
results can
be e-mailed
and /or
printed.

22. Click “Print this
page” to print
the selected
results

23. Complete this
page to send
results by e-
mail

24. Selected
results can
be exported
to Refworks

25. Should you ever
come across this
page click on
“Continue to this
website”

26. Login to
Refworks to
export your
results into your
Refworks folders

27. Please take
note of this
message

28. If you wish you can
register yourself on
CAB Abstracts. Click
on “Search
History/Create alerts”

29. Why Register?
 As a registered user, you can:
◦ Save searches to our server that you can later open when you
resume your research.
◦ Set up search history alerts. The alert automatically searches the
latest update to the database, and then sends the results to you by
e-mail.
◦ Set up citation alerts whereby you are notified by e-mail whenever
an article on your Citation Alerts list has been cited by a new
article. This feature requires a subscription to Web of Science.
◦ Create and maintain custom journal lists that you frequently read.
This feature requires a subscription to Current Contents Connect.

30. Click on
Register

31. Supply your e-mail
address as
requested and click
on “Continue” .
Complete the next
page as well

32. From now on you will
be able to Save
searches and Create
Alerts

33. A saved search

34. CAB Abstracts can
be accessed from
your mobile device

35. The mobile site

36. Supply keywords
(remember Boolean
operators).
Click on “Search”

37. The results page.
Selected references can
be exported to Refworks
or e-mailed.
Results can
be refined

38. Results can
be refined

39. Pleasefeel free to contact the library if
you have any suggestions or questions