Search hedges are pre-defined comprehensive combinations of search terms used to retrieve journal articles efficiently. In IACUC searching, these hedges are particularly useful for retrieving articles by animal population or by specific research inquiries like pain minimization.
Typically, hedges are crafted by librarians and are composed of controlled vocabulary, like MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) in databases such as PubMed, Embase, and Agricola. One of the significant advantages of using hedges is that they save researchers considerable time. Instead of creating new searches each time, researchers can rely on these pre-defined searches as often as needed.
Moreover, hedges can be validated for parameters like sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy. This validation ensures that the search results are as optimal and relevant as possible.
These tutorials demonstrates how to copy and paste these searcg hedges into databases like PubMed.
In the highly specialized field of animal research, where time and accuracy are of the essence, search hedges play a pivotal role. By employing specific and carefully constructed search strings, researchers can significantly reduce the time spent sifting through irrelevant information. This method not only accelerates the search process but also enhances the precision with which pertinent studies and data are identified. Moreover, the precision offered by search hedges contributes to the reproducibility and reliability of animal research.
Here is a comprehensive list of resources providing free hedges, including additional hedges developed by UK librarians.
These hedges have been created or adapted by UK Librarians. We thank the work of AWIC and MLA's Animal and Veterinary Information Specialists Caucus for their foundational work.
Chickens[MeSH Terms] OR Poultry[MeSH] OR chicken*[tiab] OR chick[tiab] OR chicks[tiab] OR gallus[tiab] OR poultry[tiab] OR broiler*[tiab] OR "laying hens"[tiab] OR rooster*[tiab] OR capon*[tiab] OR hen[tiab] OR hens[tiab] OR pullet*[tiab] OR bantam*[tiab] OR cock[tiab] OR cocks[tiab] OR cockerel*[tiab] OR "g domesticus"[tiab] OR Phasianidae[tiab] OR Galliformes[tiab]
ALL=Chickens OR ALL=Poultry OR (TI=chicken* OR AB=chicken*) OR (TI=chick OR AB=chick) OR (TI=chicks OR AB=chicks) OR (TI=gallus OR AB=gallus) OR (TI=poultry OR AB=poultry) OR (TI=broiler* OR AB=broiler*) OR (TI="laying hens" OR AB="laying hens") OR (TI=rooster* OR AB=rooster*) OR (TI=capon* OR AB=capon*) OR (TI=hen OR AB=hen) OR (TI=hens OR AB=hens) OR (TI=pullet* OR AB=pullet*) OR (TI=bantam* OR AB=bantam*) OR (TI=cock OR AB=cock) OR (TI=cocks OR AB=cocks) OR (TI=cockerel* OR AB=cockerel*) OR (TI="g domesticus" OR AB="g domesticus") OR (TI=Phasianidae OR AB=Phasianidae) OR (TI=Galliformes OR AB=Galliformes)
(ZU "chickens") OR Poultry OR (TI chicken* OR AB chicken*) OR (TI chick OR AB chick) OR (TI chicks OR AB chicks) OR (TI gallus OR AB gallus) OR (TI poultry OR AB poultry) OR (TI broiler* OR AB broiler*) OR (TI "laying hens" OR AB "laying hens") OR (TI rooster* OR AB rooster*) OR (TI capon* OR AB capon*) OR (TI hen OR AB hen) OR (TI hens OR AB hens) OR (TI pullet* OR AB pullet*) OR (TI bantam* OR AB bantam*) OR (TI cock OR AB cock) OR (TI cocks OR AB cocks) OR (TI cockerel* OR AB cockerel*) OR (TI "g domesticus" OR AB "g domesticus") OR (TI Phasianidae OR AB Phasianidae) OR (TI Galliformes OR AB Galliformes)
'Gallus gallus'/exp OR 'poultry' OR 'chicken*':ti,ab,kw OR 'chick':ti,ab,kw OR 'chicks':ti,ab,kw OR 'gallus':ti,ab,kw OR 'poultry':ti,ab,kw OR 'broiler*':ti,ab,kw OR 'laying hens':ti,ab,kw OR 'rooster*':ti,ab,kw OR 'capon*':ti,ab,kw OR 'hen':ti,ab,kw OR 'hens':ti,ab,kw OR 'pullet*':ti,ab,kw OR 'bantam*':ti,ab,kw OR 'cock':ti,ab,kw OR 'cocks':ti,ab,kw OR 'cockerel*':ti,ab,kw OR 'g domesticus':ti,ab,kw OR 'phasianidae':ti,ab,kw OR 'galliformes':ti,ab,kw
mice[Title/Abstract] OR mice[MeSH Terms] OR “mice, transgenic”[MeSH Terms] OR mouse[Title/Abstract] OR mus[Title/Abstract] OR murine[Title/Abstract] OR c57b*[Title/Abstract] OR Swiss Webster[Title/Abstract] OR HuPBM[Title/Abstract] OR “Balb-c*”[Title/Abstract] OR “Balb/c*"[Title/Abstract] OR “transgenic mice”[Title/Abstract] OR "humanized mice"[Title/Abstract]
(TI=mice OR AB=mice) OR ALL=mice OR ALL="mice, transgenic" OR (TI=mouse OR AB=mouse) OR (TI=mus OR AB=mus) OR (TI=murine OR AB=murine) OR (TI=c57b OR AB=c57b) OR (TI="Swiss Webster" OR AB="Swiss Webster") OR (TI=HuPBM OR AB=HuPBM) OR (TI=Balb-c* OR AB=Balb-c*) OR (TI=Balb/c OR AB=Balb/c) OR (TI="transgenic mice" OR AB="transgenic mice") OR (TI="humanized mice" OR AB="humanized mice")
(TI mice OR AB mice) OR (ZU "mice") OR (ZU "mice (balb/c)") OR (TI mouse OR AB mouse) OR (TI mus OR AB mus) OR (TI murine OR AB murine) OR (TI c57b* OR AB c57b*) OR (TI "Swiss Webster" OR AB "Swiss Webster") OR (TI HuPBM OR AB HuPBM) OR (TI Balb-c* OR AB Balb-c*) OR (TI Balb/c* OR AB Balb/c*) OR (TI "transgenic mice" OR AB "transgenic mice") OR (TI "humanized mice" OR AB "humanized mice")
'mice':ti,ab,kw OR 'mouse'/exp OR 'transgenic mouse'/exp OR 'mouse':ti,ab,kw OR 'mus':ti,ab,kw OR 'murine':ti,ab,kw OR 'c57b*':ti,ab,kw OR 'swiss webster':ti,ab,kw OR 'hupbm':ti,ab,kw OR 'balb-c*':ti,ab,kw OR 'balb/c*':ti,ab,kw OR 'transgenic mice':ti,ab,kw OR 'humanized mice':ti,ab,kw
Rats[MeSH Terms] OR "rat"[Title/Abstract] OR "rats"[Title/Abstract] OR "rattus norvegicus*"[Title/Abstract] OR "rattus*"[Title/Abstract] OR "wistar"[Title/Abstract] OR "sprague dawley*"[Title/Abstract] OR "Long Evans"[Title/Abstract] OR "Fischer 344"[Title/Abstract] OR "Fischer rat*"[Title/Abstract] OR "Lewis rat*"[Title/Abstract] OR "hooded rat*"[Title/Abstract] OR "r norvegicus*"[Title/Abstract] OR "norway rat*"[Title/Abstract]
ALL=Rats OR (TI=rat OR AB=rat) OR (TI=rats OR AB=rats) OR (TI="rattus norvegicus*" OR AB="rattus norvegicus*") OR (TI=rattus* OR AB=rattus*) OR (TI=wistar OR AB=wistar) OR (TI="sprague dawley*" OR AB="sprague dawley*") OR (TI="Long Evans" OR AB="Long Evans") OR (TI="Fischer 344" OR AB="Fischer 344") OR (TI="Fischer rat*" OR AB="Fischer rat*") OR (TI="Lewis rat*" OR AB="Lewis rat*") OR (TI="hooded rat*" OR AB="hooded rat*") OR (TI="r norvegicus*" OR AB="r norvegicus*") OR (TI="norway rat*" OR AB="norway rat*")
(ZU "rat") OR (ZU "rat (wistar)") OR (TI rat OR AB rat) OR (TI rats OR AB rats) OR (TI "rattus norvegicus*" OR AB "rattus norvegicus*") OR (TI rattus* OR AB rattus*) OR (TI wistar OR AB wistar) OR (TI "sprague dawley*" OR AB "sprague dawley*") OR (TI "Long Evans" OR AB "Long Evans") OR (TI "Fischer 344" OR AB "Fischer 344") OR (TI "Fischer rat*" OR AB "Fischer rat*") OR (TI "Lewis rat*" OR AB "Lewis rat*") OR (TI "hooded rat*" OR AB "hooded rat*") OR (TI "r norvegicus*" OR AB "r norvegicus*") OR (TI "norway rat*" OR AB "norway rat*")
'rat'/exp OR 'rat':ti,ab,kw OR 'rats':ti,ab,kw OR 'rattus norvegicus*':ti,ab,kw OR 'rattus*':ti,ab,kw OR 'wistar':ti,ab,kw OR 'sprague dawley*':ti,ab,kw OR 'long evans':ti,ab,kw OR 'fischer 344':ti,ab,kw OR 'fischer rat*':ti,ab,kw OR 'lewis rat*':ti,ab,kw OR 'hooded rat*':ti,ab,kw OR 'r norvegicus*':ti,ab,kw OR 'norway rat*':ti,ab,kw
"Horses"[Mesh] OR horse*[tiab] OR "Equus caballus"[tiab] OR "Equus ferus caballus"[tiab] OR "Equus przewalskii"[tiab] OR "equine*"[tiab] OR "equidae"[MeSH Terms] OR "equidae"[tiab]
ALL=Horses OR (TI=horse* OR AB=horse*) OR (TI="Equus caballus" OR AB="Equus caballus") OR (TI="Equus ferus caballus" OR AB="Equus ferus caballus") OR (TI="Equus przewalskii" OR AB="Equus przewalskii") OR (TI=equine* OR AB=equine*) OR ALL=equidae OR (TI=equidae OR AB=equidae)
(ZU "horse") OR (TI horse* OR AB horse*) OR (TI "Equus caballus" OR AB "Equus caballus") OR (TI "Equus ferus caballus" OR AB "Equus ferus caballus") OR (TI "Equus przewalskii" OR AB "Equus przewalskii") OR (TI equine* OR AB equine*) OR (MH equidae+) OR (TI equidae OR AB equidae)
'horse'/exp OR 'horse*':ti,ab,kw OR 'equus caballus':ti,ab,kw OR 'equus ferus caballus':ti,ab,kw OR 'equus przewalskii':ti,ab,kw OR 'equine*':ti,ab,kw OR 'Equidae'/exp OR 'equidae':ti,ab,kw
Below is a comprehensive search hedge designed to address the IACUC protocol question regarding the availability of animal use alternatives. This general framework can be customized to meet specific research needs and inquiries. For instance, you may wish to incorporate the specific analgesic drugs utilized in your study. To achieve optimal results, it is advisable to refine the search terms to include particular methodologies or species variations pertinent to your research.
"Animal Use Alternatives"[MeSH] OR ("animal"[tiab] AND ("reduction"[tiab] OR "refinement"[tiab] OR "replacement"[tiab])) OR "animal alternative"[tiab:~2] OR "animal alternatives"[tiab:~2] OR "pain relieving"[tiab] OR "pain relief"[tiab] or "pain reliever*"[tiab] or "relieve pain"[tiab] OR "manage pain"[tiab] or "management of pain"[tiab] or "minimize pain"[tiab:~3] or "reduce pain"[tiab] or "mitigate pain"[tiab] or "mitigating pain"[tiab] or "pain medication*"[tiab] OR "Analgesics"[Mesh] OR analgesic*[tiab] OR Anodyne*[tiab] OR Antinociceptive*[tiab]
'animal testing alternative'/exp OR ('animal':ti,ab,kw AND ('reduction':ti,ab,kw OR 'refinement':ti,ab,kw OR 'replacement':ti,ab,kw)) OR ('animal' NEAR/3 'alternative'):ti,ab,kw OR ('animal' NEAR/3 'alternatives'):ti,ab,kw OR 'pain relieving':ti,ab,kw OR 'pain relief':ti,ab,kw OR 'pain reliever*':ti,ab,kw OR 'relieve pain':ti,ab,kw OR 'manage pain':ti,ab,kw OR 'management of pain':ti,ab,kw OR ('minimize' NEAR/4 'pain'):ti,ab,kw OR 'reduce pain':ti,ab,kw OR 'mitigate pain':ti,ab,kw OR 'mitigating pain':ti,ab,kw OR 'pain medication*':ti,ab,kw OR 'analgesic agent'/exp OR 'analgesic*':ti,ab,kw OR 'anodyne*':ti,ab,kw OR 'antinociceptive*':ti,ab,kw
TS=("Animal Use Alternatives" OR (animal AND (reduction OR refinement OR replacement)) OR (animal NEAR/2 alternative) OR (animal NEAR/2 alternatives) OR "pain relieving" OR "pain relief" OR "pain reliever*" OR "relieve pain" OR "manage pain" OR "management of pain" OR (minimize NEAR/3 pain) OR "reduce pain" OR "mitigate pain" OR "mitigating pain" OR "pain medication*" OR Analgesics OR analgesic* OR Anodyne* OR Antinociceptive*)
((ZU "animal use alternatives") OR (ZU "animal use alternatives.") OR (ZU "animal use reduction") OR (ZU "animal use refinement") OR (ZU "animal use replacement")) OR ((TI animal OR AB animal) AND ((TI reduction OR AB reduction) OR (TI refinement OR AB refinement) OR (TI replacement OR AB replacement))) OR (TI animal N2 alternative) OR (AB animal N2 alternative) OR (TI animal N2 alternatives) OR (AB animal N2 alternatives) OR (TI "pain relieving" OR AB "pain relieving") OR (TI "pain relief" OR AB "pain relief") OR (TI "pain reliever*" OR AB "pain reliever*") OR (TI "relieve pain" OR AB "relieve pain") OR (TI "manage pain" OR AB "manage pain") OR (TI "management of pain" OR AB "management of pain") OR (TI minimize N3 pain) OR (AB minimize N3 pain) OR (TI "reduce pain" OR AB "reduce pain") OR (TI "mitigate pain" OR AB "mitigate pain") OR (TI "mitigating pain" OR AB "mitigating pain") OR (TI "pain medication*" OR AB "pain medication*") OR ((ZU "analgesic") OR (ZU "analgesics") OR (ZU "analgesic effect") OR (ZU "analgesics -- administration & dosage")) OR (TI analgesic* OR AB analgesic*) OR (TI Anodyne* OR AB Anodyne*) OR (TI Antinociceptive* OR AB Antinociceptive*)
It can be difficult to find literature discussing confounders in unalleviated pain research. Interestingly, confounder literature is often indexed within the animal welfare and bioethics literature. This means that if you strictly search within your specific research area—for example, traumatic brain injury (TBI)—you may inadvertently exclude valuable research that examines confounders in relation to broader issues such as unalleviated pain. Even if an article references traumatic brain injury (TBI), it may not be categorized within the TBI literature if it addresses confounding factors.
Therefore, it's essential to broaden your search strategy to include these adjacent fields, ensuring that you capture all relevant studies that may impact your research outcomes. By doing so, you enhance the robustness of your research and deepen your understanding of the complex interplay of variables in your study. Here are two methods to find literature on confounders and unalleviated pain:
(Animal keywords) AND (Research topic/area keywords) AND (Analgesia/Pain management keywords)
Example PubMed search strategy using mice and rats in TBI research:
(mice[tiab] OR "mice"[MeSH] OR "mice, transgenic"[MeSH] OR mouse[tiab] OR mus[tiab] OR murine[tiab] OR c57b*[tiab] OR Swiss Webster[tiab] OR "Balb-c*"[tiab] OR "Balb/c*"[tiab] OR "transgenic mice"[tiab] OR "humanized mice"[tiab] OR "Rats"[MeSH] OR "rat"[tiab] OR "rats"[tiab] OR "rattus norvegicus*"[tiab] OR "rattus*"[tiab] OR "wistar"[tiab] OR "sprague dawley*"[tiab] OR "Long Evans"[tiab] OR "Fischer 344"[tiab] OR "Fischer rat*"[tiab] OR "Lewis rat*"[tiab] OR "hooded rat*"[tiab] OR "r norvegicus*"[tiab] OR "norway rat*"[tiab] OR "Rodentia"[Mesh] OR rodent*[tiab]) AND ("Brain Injuries, Traumatic"[Mesh] OR TBI[tiab] OR TBIs[tiab] OR "brain trauma*"[tiab] OR "brain injur*"[tiab] OR "traumatic encephalopathy"[tiab] OR "brain lesion*"[tiab] OR "cerebral trauma*"[tiab] OR "cerebral injur*"[tiab] OR "cerebral lesion*"[tiab] OR "Brain Concussion"[Mesh] OR concuss*[tiab]) AND ("analgesia"[MeSH] OR analgesics[MeSH] OR analgesi*[tiab] or "pain relief"[tiab] or "pain reliever*"[tiab] or "relieve pain"[tiab] or anodyne*[tiab] or antinociceptive[tiab] or "pain management"[tiab] or "manage pain"[tiab] or "management of pain"[tiab] or "minimize pain"[tiab:~3] or "reduce pain"[tiab] or "mitigate pain"[tiab] or "mitigating pain"[tiab] or "pain medication*"[tiab] or opioid*[tiab] or "nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug*"[tiab] or nsaid*[tiab] or buprenorphine[tiab] or tramadol[tiab] or meloxicam[tiab] or carprofen[tiab] or ketoprofen[tiab] or ibuprofen[tiab] or acetaminophen[tiab] or lidocaine[tiab] or bupivacaine[tiab])
The specific drug terms may vary depending on the species being researched and the common analgesic drugs used for them.
Some databases have different controlled vocabularies (ex. EMTREE vs MeSH). It is important to include database-specific controlled vocabulary (not available in Web of Science) terms related to analgesia, analgesics, and specific analgesic drugs.
(Laboratory animal keywords) AND (Analgesic/pain management/pain keywords) AND (Keywords/phrases related to confounding results/experimental outcomes OR keywords/phrases related to withholding analgesics)
Example search strategy without a specific animal:
("Animals, Laboratory"[MeSH] OR "Models, Animal"[MeSH] OR "Disease Models, Animal"[Mesh] OR "animal model*"[tiab] OR "laboratory animal*"[tiab] OR "Animal Experimentation"[Mesh] OR "animal experiment*"[tiab] OR "animal research"[tiab]) AND ("Pain Management"[Mesh] OR "pain management"[tiab] OR "unrelieved pain"[tiab] OR "pain relieving"[tiab] OR "pain relief"[tiab] or "pain reliever*"[tiab] or "relieve pain"[tiab] OR "manage pain"[tiab] or "management of pain"[tiab] or "minimize pain"[tiab:~3] or "reduce pain"[tiab] or "mitigate pain"[tiab] or "mitigating pain"[tiab] or "pain medication*"[tiab] OR "Analgesics"[Mesh] OR analgesic*[tiab] OR Anodyne*[tiab] OR Antinociceptive*[tiab]) AND ("Animal Welfare"[MeSH] OR "animal welfare" OR "Bioethical Issues"[Mesh] OR "Bioethical Issues"[Mesh] OR bioethic*[tiab] OR ethic*[tiab])
Example search strategy with mice as the animal of interest:
("Animals, Laboratory"[MeSH] OR "Models, Animal"[MeSH] OR "Disease Models, Animal"[Mesh] OR "animal model*"[tiab] OR "laboratory animal*"[tiab] OR "Animal Experimentation"[Mesh] OR "animal experiment*"[tiab] OR "animal research"[tiab] OR mice[tiab] OR "mice"[MeSH] OR "mice, transgenic"[MeSH] OR mouse[tiab] OR mus[tiab] OR murine[tiab] OR c57b*[tiab] OR Swiss Webster[tiab] OR "Balb-c*"[tiab] OR "Balb/c*"[tiab] OR "transgenic mice"[tiab] OR "humanized mice"[tiab] OR "Rats"[MeSH] OR "rat"[tiab] OR "rats"[tiab] OR "rattus norvegicus*"[tiab] OR "rattus*"[tiab] OR "wistar"[tiab] OR "sprague dawley*"[tiab] OR "Long Evans"[tiab] OR "Fischer 344"[tiab] OR "Fischer rat*"[tiab] OR "Lewis rat*"[tiab] OR "hooded rat*"[tiab] OR "r norvegicus*"[tiab] OR "norway rat*"[tiab] OR "Rodentia"[Mesh] OR rodent*[tiab]) AND ("Pain Management"[Mesh] OR "pain management"[tiab] OR "unrelieved pain"[tiab] OR "pain relieving"[tiab] OR "pain relief"[tiab] or "pain reliever*"[tiab] or "relieve pain"[tiab] OR "manage pain"[tiab] or "management of pain"[tiab] or "minimize pain"[tiab:~3] or "reduce pain"[tiab] or "mitigate pain"[tiab] or "mitigating pain"[tiab] or "pain medication*"[tiab] OR "Analgesics"[Mesh] OR analgesic*[tiab] OR Anodyne*[tiab] OR Antinociceptive*[tiab]) AND ("Animal Welfare"[MeSH] OR "animal welfare" OR "Bioethical Issues"[Mesh] OR "Bioethical Issues"[Mesh] OR bioethic*[tiab] OR ethic*[tiab])
We often recommend building your first strategy in PubMed because there are tool that will help you translate to databases like Embase and Web of Science. Once you have finalized your search string, we recommend using a database translator tool or contacting a librarian. Below you will find two tools available for translation with demos.
Below is a search hedge designed to address the IACUC protocol question regarding prolonged restraint. This general framework can be customized to meet specific research needs and inquiries. For instance, you will need to incorporate the specific method of prolonged restraint.
Search hedge for use in any protocol using prolonged restraint:
"Restraint, Physical"[MeSH] OR "prolonged restraint"[tiab:~3] OR "prolong restraint"[tiab:~3] OR immobilization[tiab] OR immobilize[tiab] OR immobilisation[tiab] OR immobilise[tiab] OR "mechanical restraint"[tiab] OR "prolonged confinement"[tiab:~2] OR "prolonged containment"[tiab:~2] OR "behaviour control"[tiab] OR "behavior control"[tiab] OR "restraint device*"[tiab] OR "limit movement"[tiab:~2] OR "limited movement"[tiab:~2] OR restrainer[tiab]
Supplemental Search hedge for specific technique outlined in protocol using prolonged restraint: only include the terms that apply to your protocol
tether*[tiab] OR slings[tiab] OR sling[tiab] OR "metabolism cage*"[tiab] OR "metabolism stall*"[tiab] OR "farrowing crate*"[tiab] OR "farrowing pen*"[tiab] OR chutes[tiab] OR chute[tiab] OR stocks[tiab] OR stock[tiab] OR headlock[tiab] OR headlocks[tiab] OR net[tiab] OR nets[tiab] OR netting[tiab] OR muzzle*[tiab] OR halter*[tiab] OR "tube holder*"[tiab] OR traps[tiab] OR trap[tiab] OR "hindlimb suspension"[tiab] OR "tail suspension"[tiab] OR "Hindlimb Elevation"[tiab] OR"Hindlimb unloading*"[tiab] OR "Skeletal Unloading*"[tiab]
Example search with specific restraint method included
"Restraint, Physical"[MeSH] OR "prolonged restraint"[tiab:~3] OR "prolong restraint"[tiab:~3] OR immobilization[tiab] OR immobilize[tiab] OR immobilisation[tiab] OR immobilise[tiab] OR "mechanical restraint"[tiab] OR "prolonged confinement"[tiab:~2] OR "prolonged containment"[tiab:~2] OR "behaviour control"[tiab] OR "behavior control"[tiab] OR "restraint device*"[tiab] OR "limit movement"[tiab:~2] OR "limited movement"[tiab:~2] OR restrainer[tiab] OR tether*[tiab] OR slings[tiab] OR sling[tiab]