CAB Direct
database of bibliographic records in the life sciences
CAB Direct is a source of references for the applied life sciences It incorporates two bibliographic databases: CAB Abstracts and Global Health. CAB Direct is an access point for multiple bibliographic databases produced by CABI. This database contains over 11 million bibliographic records, which includes 746,000 full text articles. It also includes noteworthy literature reviews. News articles and reports are also part of this combined database. CAB Direct has now migrated to CABI's new platform CABI Digital Library - the new home of CABI's research content.
In the U.K., in 1947, the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux became the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux or CAB. In 1986 the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux became CAB International or CABI.
CAB Abstracts
CAB Abstracts is an applied life sciences bibliographic database emphasizing agricultural literature, which is international in scope. It contains over 11 million records, with coverage from 1973 to present day, adding around 360,000 abstracts per year. Subject coverage includes agriculture, environment, veterinary sciences, applied economics, food science and nutrition. Database covers international issues in agriculture, forestry, and allied disciplines in the life sciences. Indexed publications are from 120 countries in 50 languages, including English abstracts for most articles.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “CAB Direct” as database of bibliographic records in the life sciences. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as database of bibliographic records in the life sciences. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5008526. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1947, 1986 and 1973.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “CAB Direct”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow CAB Direct primary sources, CAB Direct archive and Direct research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “CAB Direct”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “CAB Direct” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.