Searching the Canary Database

In case you haven't tried the Canary Database (see post from October 10), you should definitely take a look at some of the features. Besides the added value of the curated documents, there are some cool things that the database designers have added to enhance the searching experience.

For example, do a quick search on anthrax by typing 'anthrax' in the search box at the top of the screen and click on 'go'. Looks and feels like Google, huh?

The results screen lists 43 records. And, right before the record listing, plots the % hits by year from 1965 to 2005 - giving you a instant feel for the distribution of articles over time. The next cool thing is the linkages bars, which are clickable. The bars indicate the linkages for:
Cause and effect analysis
Interspecies susceptibility data
Shared exposures with humans
Shared outcomes with humans
Gene sequence date

Another feature is the 'Find similar (show/hide)' box to the right of the screen. This allows you to quickly perform Boolean 'and' or 'or' searches within the search set or to redirect the search completely. It also helps to visualize the composition of the articles.

Give this database a try!