Alternative Farming Systems Information Center of the National Agricultural Library
Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Compiled by:
Mary V. Gold
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
National Agricultural Library
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
October 2001
This resource is part of our Organic Production/Organic Food: Information Access Tools tutorial which
identifies outstanding sources that address organic agriculture, research and information sources, contacts and experts, research funding sources, educational and career opportunities,
and upcoming events.
On this Page...
Introduction
Who generates (and has generated) organic data? Original sources
Where is organic data and information? Print and non-print outlets
How is organic information available? Formats
What is the current status of organic information?
What are some of the problems related to searching for organic information?
What is the best way to search electronically on organic topics?
Where can I search to find just what I want in the least amount of time?
What are the best search "strings" for finding organic?
What can I do if I find too much or too little on my organic topic?
How can I "capture" and use what I find?
Related references
Ten years ago it was easy to direct people to information about organic agriculture. Resources were limited, and reference to a few books and articles was often all that could be offered. Today, electronic and print information overwhelms the seeker of organic-related information.
Organic food and fiber production is presently one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the United States, both in terms of annual sales and farmed acreage. [U.S. Organic Farming Emerges in the 1990s: Adoption of Certified Systems, by Catherine R. Greene. USDA Economic Research Service, June 2001. ERS AIB No. 770. http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib770/] By all indications, accompanying information resources have multiplied in similar fashion. Organic is very much a "hot topic."
This document will present background information on the organic knowledge base in terms of history, quality, and quantity, and it will present resources and techniques that may be used for optimal retrieval of organic resources and data. It will address the following questions:
A wide array of players are researching the agronomic and horticultural aspects of organic production, as well as the marketing, consumer, environmental, social, and economic aspects. These sources include government, non-profit, and commercial agricultural researchers; advanced degree candidates at colleges and universities, Cooperative Extension educators and farm consultants; environmental, nutritional, and food safety groups; marketing and trade organizations; and commercial and non-profit consumer entities.
During much of its history, organic farming has relied on farmer-generated data. Experiments and observations in the field were, for many years, a prime resource for organic production. This information, often discounted as unscientific and/or irrelevant to large-scale agriculture by professional agricultural researchers, was shared through farmer networks and organizations. The data did not make it into mainstream information resources; what did appear in print was published in what information specialists call "gray literature" -- local and organizational newsletters, conference proceedings, and other alternative outlets.
Currently, organic-related documentation can be found in many kinds of resources and publications. These include traditional science and research journals (peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed), conference proceedings, college and university dissertations, agricultural production and marketing reports, newsletters and magazines, news feeds and newspapers, as well as literature and research databases.
As with other types of information resources, organic-related information has become increasingly available in electronic formats: online full-text documents (both free and fee-based); email listservs; agency, commercial, and organizational Web sites, and more. Pertinent information is also abundant in traditional print articles, newsletters, and books; videos and other non-print media available through subscription or libraries.
Gone are the days when just a few Web sites, journals, and books provided organic data. The pioneer information providers are now augmented by not only brand-new organic-specific resources, but by organic research, reports and articles that are folded into the conventional agriculture and business data.
As an example of organic information's growth, here are the results of a combined search on the two largest agricultural databases: AGRICOLA and CAB ABSTRACTS:1
| Publication Years | # of Citations | Percent in English |
|---|---|---|
| 1970-1975 | 95 | 64% |
| 1976-1980 | 228 | 68% |
| 1981-1985 | 256 | 73% |
| 1986-1990 | 525 | 74% |
| 1991-1995 | 927 | 69% |
| 1996-2001 | 1314 | 64% |
The unique nature of organic production and marketing makes searching on organic topics difficult.
There are many unrelated topics connected with the word organic, such as organic chemistry, organic acids, and soil organic matter, that preclude searching on just the word organic with the expectation of meaningful results.
There is the confusing nomenclature associated with organic production: organics, organically grown, biodyamic, biological farming, ecological agriculture, and more - a host of almost synonymous terms. There are also many organic practices and organic commodities that may not always be labeled as such, but that may be relevant to a particular search, e.g. biological pest control, or natural foods. See also: Finding "Organic": Search Strategies and Terminology (M. Gold, USDA, NAL, July 2007. https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/orgterms.shtml).
There is the holistic nature of organic production itself. Particularly in the area of organic farming, one may need to consider the whole-farm, economic, political, philosophical, and economic aspects of organic. This is not easy to do, especially on discipline-focused databases.
Where ever you are searching, whether it is on the Internet via a search engine like Google or Yahoo, on a specific site using the site-designated search engine, or when searching a literature database online, be aware that different search engines have different formats, capabilities, and limitations. Here are some examples of search engine idiosyncrasies to consider.
Single word searches: Some search engines automatically perform stem searching - they are smart enough to know that when you type in the word organic they also look for organically or organics (e.g. MSN Search). Most are not. Others may allow for truncation or wildcards, that is, by placing a * or ? at the end of the word, as in organic*, all terms that start with organic will be retrieved including organics and organically (e.g. AltaVista and NorthernLight).
Multiple word searches: There are several ways that an engine may handle multiple word searches. Searching on organic markets will elicit different results, depending on the engine you use. It may find: 1.) all the items that contain organic OR markets - thousands of hits (e.g. AltaVista); 2.) it may elicit items where organic AND markets appear, either together or paragraphs apart (e.g. Google); or 3.) it may elicit only items where the exact phrase appears (e.g. SilverPlatter CDROM databases). Of course, the results will also vary on engines that allow stemming as discussed above.
Phrase searching: Most search engines allow phrase (words adjacent and in given order) searching through the use of quotation marks: "organic markets"
Other options that may be available: 1.) Boolean searching - allows searching multiple terms/phrases at one time through the use of AND, OR, AND NOT. [The "AND NOT" function removes items with defined terms (example: organic AND NOT "organic compounds").] 2.) Field searching - searching for terms in titles only or just in URLs (e.g. organic in ti; .edu in URL).
Most people can improve their searching success exponentially simply by reading the Help screens, and using the "Simple" and/or "Advanced" options effectively.
Warning: Internet search engines evolve constantly. What worked well last year may be out-of-date. While it is nice to have a tried-and-true favorite engine, do try others every now and then. You many find something you like better. There is a helpful Web site that regularly evaluates and compares Web search engines: The Greg Notess Web Site: Home of Search Engine Showdown (http://notess.com/)
Quick comparison of search engine results: Popular Internet search engine results: "organic marketing" (the phrase) on Thursday, July 18, 2001 [The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) recent publication, Organic Marketing Resources (http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/markres.html), was used as a benchmark to help evaluate relevance/order of items retrieved.]
| Engine2 | # of Hits | The # 1 Hit |
|---|---|---|
| Google http://www.google.com/ |
1320 | Hoosier Organic Marketing Education [Organic Marketing Resources, ATTRA was #5] |
| MSN Search (Inktomi) http://search.msn.com |
1131 | Web Directories: Organic Farmers' Marketing Assn.; Web Pages: Organic Marketing Resources, ATTRA |
| All The Web (Fast) http://www.alltheweb.com/ |
906 | Organic Marketing Resources, ATTRA |
| Northern Light http://www.northernlight.com/ |
836 | Organic Marketing, Georgia Organics, Inc. [Organic Marketing Resources, ATTRA was #4] |
| AltaVista http://www.altavista.com/ |
827 | Hoosier Organic Marketing Education [Organic Marketing Resources, ATTRA was #8] |
| Yahoo http://www.yahoo.com/ |
557 | Hoosier Organic Marketing Education [Organic Marketing Resources, ATTRA was #4] |
2Warning: Some Internet search engines provide preferential placement or ratings for advertisers.
Many people have now discovered the joys and frustrations of Internet searching. Despite the Internet's relative newness, it is easy to believe that all the information one needs is free and online on the World Wide Web. This may or may not be true. Particularly when it comes to marketing-related information, the Internet is very limited. For one thing, most good information is proprietary. The vast majority of relevant reports and journals are not available for free downloading on the Internet. And you can't find them by searching on the Internet.
For a more complete picture of a marketing issue, check out traditional literature databases (some are available online free, some for a fee), and mainstream marketing journals and directories.
Sampling a range of databases and search results. Search query used, unless otherwise noted: organic AND (food OR foods) AND (market OR markets OR marketing OR consumer OR consumers) AND (1995-2001)
| Database | Availability | Full-Text | # of Hits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABI Inform Global (business publications) |
fee-based | Yes | 25 |
| AgEcon Search: Research in Agricultural and Applied Economics http://agecon.lib.umn.edu/ |
free | Yes |
11 |
| AGRICOLA CDROM | fee-based | No | 111 |
| AGRICOLA Online http://agricola.nal.usda.gov/ |
free | No | 13 books 53 articles (simplified search) |
| Books in Print (BIP) | fee-based | No | 5 |
| Business Source Premier | fee-based | Yes | 344 |
| CAB Abstracts | fee-based | No | 373 |
| Dissertation Abstracts | fee-based | No | 29 |
| E-Answers (Extension publications) http://e-answers.adec.edu/ |
free | Some | 459 (14 with 45%+ relevance rating) |
| EconLit | fee-based | No | 17 |
| FindArticles.com (LookSmart/Gale Group) http://www.findarticles.com/PI/index.jhtml |
free | Yes | 1074 |
| Food Science & Technology Abstracts (FSTA) | fee-based | No | 240 |
| LexisNexis/Academic Universe: Business/Industry News (industry & trade resources) | fee-based | Yes | 882 (2000-01only) |
| LexisNexis/Academic Universe: Business/Business & Finance (newspapers) | fee-based | Yes | 882 (2000-01 only) |
| Proceedings First | fee-based | No | 1 |
| Readers Guide (popular literature) |
fee-based | No | 68 |
| Sociological Abstracts | fee-based | No | 7 |
| Wilson Select | fee-based | Yes | 119 |
| Thomas Food Industry Register CDROM | fee-based | Not applicable | 380 listings under "Foods - Natural, Organic" |
| Thomas Register Online http://www.thomasregister.com/ (free login required) |
free | Not applicable | 112 listings |
In thinking about a search string or "strategy" that will help retrieve the best information in the shortest amount of time, first define exactly what it is you want to know. Then work to define the concept elements in the question you want answered. For instance, the question, "What can you tell me about consumer markets for organic herbs in the U.S. Northwest?" might be broken down in the following elements:
keyword = "organic"; related element = Label
keyword = "herbs"; related element = Commodity
keyword = "consumer"; related element = Market Outlet
keyword = "Northeast"; related element = Geographic Location
Develop a list of keywords and phrases for each category, starting with the most pertinent - synonymous and to the point; working down to relevant - close in meaning; and then related - potentially applicable. For inspiration, try some sample searches, read the titles and texts that look most likely, and borrow words that describe them. For the above question, the list might look like this:
| Label | Commodity | Market | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pertinent terms | organic* biodynamic |
herb(s) | consumer* | Northeast U.S. Northeastern states |
| Relevant terms | pesticide-free natural ecolabel* |
specific herb names medicinal plants |
retail farmers' markets grocery/ies supermarket(s) |
state names New England Atlantic states Mid-Atlantic |
| Related terms | health foods nutriceuticals functional foods |
spices | market* distribution |
East/Eastern states |
| Database-specific codes3 | E720 (AGRICOLA) |
3The major agricultural databases offer added definition using subject codes. For instance, all documents indexed by AGRICOLA that are about "consumer economics" are assigned the code number E720.
Broadening a search to get more "hits." Here is an example of how widening a search through adding relevant and related terms, and by optimizing the search engine's searching capabilities, can help find additional information. [Sample search: Wilson Select database (academic/business/general/full text articles online) 1995 - 2001 publications]
Search Terms |
Total "Hits" |
|---|---|
| "organic food markets" [phrase] | 0 |
| organic AND food AND markets [anywhere in text] | 19 |
| organic*AND food* AND market* [truncation] | 100 |
| (organic* OR biodynamic OR bio-dynamic) AND food* AND market* [+pertinent organic] | 100 |
| (organic* OR biodynamic OR bio-dynamic) AND (food* OR fruit* OR vegetable* OR grown OR production) AND market* [+pertinent food] | 134 |
| (organic* OR biodynamic OR bio-dynamic) AND (food* OR fruit* OR vegetable* OR grown OR production) AND (market* OR sales OR price* OR wholesale* OR retail* OR consumer*) [+pertinent markets] | 183 |
Narrowing a search with too many hits. In just the way that a search can be "exploded," it can be "imploded," that is, narrowed. If you have started your search with the broad term, natural foods, for instance, look for more restrictive labels. But beware using the "AND NOT" option on a search engine. You may remove a great article about your topic if the author or indexer has mentioned the taboo term anywhere in the title, keywords, text, or abstract. For instance, if the abstract explains, "this research centers on organic alternatives to conventional agriculture" and you tell the engine to "NOT" out all documents with phrase, "conventional agriculture," you will never see this article! So use the option carefully. It is better to concentrate on the terms you DO want to appear in your results.
Making order out of search results. Search engines present a variety of options when it comes to sorting. You may be able to arrange your results alphabetically, chronologically, by full-text results only, by relevance, by WWW site, by peer-reviewed articles only, etc. There are also options for formatting download files or printed pages. Help screens can help (!) you find the sort option that puts the items most relevant to your search first.
Obtaining full-text reports and articles. Depending on the database that you have searched, you may still be only halfway home. If your search was on the Internet, and turned up all the full-text articles you desire, you are fortunate. Alternatively, you may only have a detailed list of publications in your hand, and not whole text documents. While abstracts can be very informative, having the complete article or book may be required.
Copyright restrictions. Keep in mind that copyright law covers how you may download and distribute most publications. This often includes the abstracts.
Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, Jasper Womach, Coordinator. (Jun-2005) Available at http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/05jun/97-905.pdf
"Definitions." Basic Standards for Organic Production and Processing. (decided in Basel 2000) International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Available at http://www.ifoam.org/standard/index_neu.html
Definitions and Terminology. Québec Organic Reference Standards (Nov. 1998) Available at http://www.caqbio.org/a/NBR.htm
Glossary of Terms. Earthbound Farm Organic. Available at http://www.ebfarm.com/organic_glossary.html
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations. Organic Trade Association. Available at http://www.ota.com/rule_glossary_of_terms_and_abbreviati.htm
A Glossary of Terms Used in Agroecology. Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. Available at http://www.agroecology.org/glossary/index.htm
Gold, Mary V., Electronic Databases and other Information Search Tools Available at the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center. Beltsville, MD: Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, 2001. Available at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/edtr/
Gold, Mary V., The Language of Electronic Searching: A Search Terms Glossary. Beltsville, MD: Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, 2001.
Gold, Mary V., Organic Production: Terminology / Descriptive Phrases. Beltsville, MD: Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, 2001. Available at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/orgterms.shtml
Gold, Mary V., Sustainable Agriculture: Definitions and Terms (Special Reference Briefs Series no. SRB99-02). Beltsville, MD: Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, 1999 and 2007. Available at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/terms/srb9902.shtml
Gold, Mary V., Where to Find Sustainable Agriculture Research Online. Beltsville, MD: Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural Library, Updated May 2004. Available at: https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/agnic/susagresearch.shtml
Lipson, Mark and the Organic Farming Research Foundation., Searching for the "O-Word": Analyzing the USDA Current Research Information System for Pertinence to Organic Farming. Santa Cruz, CA: Organic Farming Research Foundation, 1997.
U.S. Organic Agriculture. USDA Research Emphases, Harmony Between Agriculture and the Environment: Current Issues. USDA Economic Research Service. Available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/emphases/harmony/issues/organic/organic.html
Weintraub, Irwin, "Holistic Literature Searching for a Holistic Agriculture." Quarterly Bulletin of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD), 42, 1 (1997): 10-15.
Weintraub, Irwin., "The Terminology of Alternative Agriculture Searching AGRICOLA, CAB and AGRIS." Quarterly Bulletin of the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD), 37, 4 (1992): 209-13.
This Reference Guide was produced by the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC), National Agricultural Library (NAL). For more information, contact:
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
National Agricultural Library
10301 Baltimore Ave., Room 123
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
Phone: 301-504-6559
E-mail form: http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/contact-us
Web site: http://afsic.nal.usda.gov
Return to:
Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, http://afsic.nal.usda.gov
National Agricultural Library, http://www.nal.usda.gov
United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, afsic@nal.usda.gov
Web Policies and Important Links, http://www.nal.usda.gov/web-policies-and-important-links
October 2001