“Animal Topiary: Animal Search Hedges to Improve Searching for Animal Use Alternatives”

Background: The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) at the National Agricultural Library (USDA) provides trainings on conducting literature searches for animal use alternatives [i.e., 3Rs (replacement, reduction, refinement of animal use)] as part of the Animal Welfare Act’s regulations. This regulation states that researchers must consider alternatives for research involving animals. The goal of the 3Rs is to reduce animal use, replace animal models, and refine laboratory procedures to minimize animals’ pain and distress.
Researchers have reported challenges in finding 3Rs citations due to the limited use of 3Rs terminology in publications. 3Rs search hedges (pre-determined strings of keywords and controlled vocabulary) can help researchers find 3Rs literature.

Description: This paper will describe the process of developing and testing the efficacy of 3Rs search hedges. AWIC staff members developed search hedges for common laboratory animal species such as mice, rats, ferrets, pigs, and non-human primates, as well as for selected 3Rs concepts such as environmental enrichment, social housing, alternatives to oral gavage, and abnormal behavior. Users may search each hedge as a single string or combine them with species hedges. AWIC developed hedges in PubMed syntax as well as for Web of Science, Scopus, and other databases.
AWIC and members of the Animal and Veterinary Information Specialists caucus of the Medical Library Association formed a Search Strategies Working Group (SSWG) to develop and provide feedback on these hedges. Members stated that librarians would be the hedges' primary users. The group recommended simplifying PubMed hedge syntax and developing additional procedural and species hedges. Lastly, the SSWG advocated publishing and maintaining the hedges in a public repository.

Conclusion: The AWIC search hedges will require revision and user testing before posting them in a repository such as the National Agricultural Library website. AWIC plans to work with the SSWG to revise the current hedges and develop additional ones. Lastly, AWIC also plans to validate and publish at least one of the hedges.
Disclaimers:
This presentation was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

The findings and conclusions in this presentation are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.

Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the
purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or
endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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