What is
“Current Biotechnology”?

Rapid access to reliable and relevant information is essential in the fast-moving field of biotechnology. The bibliographic database and current awareness bulletin, Current Biotechnology, focuses on the commercial and industrial applications of biotechnology.
Naturally, Current Biotechnology extensively covers headline-grabbing topics such as genetic anipulation and biomedical engineering. Biotechnology, however, ranges well beyond the scope of the average newspaper. How much newspaper coverage, for example, does wastewater treatment receive? Yet since 1971, Current Biotechnology has dedicated 2,003 entries out of a total of 130,000 entries to biotechnology in wastewater treatment.
Abstracts are selected from approximately 250 international journals, from core British or American journals to Indian publications or journals not generally associated with biotechnology. In addition, other sources such as books, conference proceedings and dissertations are also selected. While most of the original literature is in English, publications in other languages are also covered, for which the English abstracts are written.

The easily searchable database of value-added abstracts, therefore, covers not only the mainstream biotechnology publications, but many articles that the average biotechnologist would never otherwise see. Approximately half of the abstracts are specifically written for the database; the rest of the abstracts are the original author abstracts. Both original and newly written abstracts are indexed and categorized using three complementary classification systems by abstractors and indexers specializing in biotechnology.
Finding the information
So how do researchers find the information they need? Returning to the previous example, a simple way to start would be to retrieve the 2,003 entries indexed under “wastewater treatment”. Supposing the researcher is particularly interested in iotechnological wastewater treatment in the chemical industry, the search could be narrowed by limiting it to the section “Chemical Industry”, giving a more manageable selection of 114 entries. In addition to the extensive index and the 24 general sections, entries are classified as belonging to one or more of 125 detailed categories. By combining these classifications, browsing categories or searching the data fields directly, the researcher can rapidly retrieve the information required. And should the abstract be promising, full bibliographic details are provided and a link to the full-text article will soon be available.
Current Biotechnology is part of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology Abstracts (CEABA), the world’s foremost database for chemical engineers and biotechnologists. As a database, CEABA is available on CD from Dialog, or via the internet hosts Dialog, STN and FIZ Technik. Alternatively, Current Biotechnology is published as a monthly printed or electronic bulletin, bringing the researcher the latest developments in the field of applied biotechnology.