USER GUIDE
A unique free-access bibliographic database on
the English Channel For marine scientists and
practitioners in the maritime sector
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ChanneLIS - a scientific
bibliographic database unique
to the English Channel
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The ChanneLIS scientific
committee
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The ChanneLIS database
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Explore the thesaurus
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5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
Search for a bibliographic record
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Search
by taxonomy
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Multi-criteria
advanced search
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Search results
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Interested in one
or more documents?
How to view documents
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Document donations
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G U I D E U T I L I S AT E U R
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Search by
geographical area
Simple search
ChanneLIS, a scientific
bibliographic database unique
to the English Channel
The English Channel represents
an area of sea with significant
and varied challenges (merchant
shipping, fishing and aquaculture,
hobbies, renewable energy, coastal
development, tourism, etc.).
There is a wealth of scientific literature relevant not only
to researchers, but also for all stakeholders involved in
the management of the marine and coastal environment.
However, a large number of relevant documents are
theses, memoires, studies, reports, books, etc., which are
not subject to classification in scientific libraries. This «grey
literature» is thus almost inaccessible to interested parties
who are not members of the establishment that holds it.
The ChanneLIS project (Channel Library and Information
Services, information and library services on the English
Channel) was initiated by the Marine Biological Association
(MBA) in Plymouth and the Station Biologique de Roscoff.
These two scientific institutions were founded at the end
of the 19th century and are custodians of bibliographic
databases that are amongst the richest in the world.
ChanneLIS aims to index all of the documents that are
available internally for both institutions and to make
this database accessible to the wider community.
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The database includes over eight thousand records
covering varied scientific fields, ranging from
marine physics and environmental law to coastal
biology and management. The indexed documents
cover a period from 1841 up to the present day.
50% of the ChanneLIS project is supported by the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF)), as part of the
Interreg IVA France (Channel) – England programme.
The ChanneLIS scientific committee
Dr Steve Fletcher
Pr Jean-Claude Dauvin
Head of the Centre for Marine and
Coastal Policy Research
University of Caen
University Lecturer on the sustainable
development of marine and coastal systems
Dr Amanda Arnold
Queen Mary University of London
Researcher in the river
communities study team
Deputy Director of the UMR 6143 Coastal
and continental morphodynamics (M2C)
CNRS – University of Caen BasseNormandie – University of Rouen
Dr Éric Thiébaut
Station biologique de Roscoff
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ChanneLIS database:
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ChanneLIS provides access to bibliographical
records held in the library of the
Marine Biological Association or at the
Station de Biologique de Roscoff.
The database provides an indexing service but
not direct access to the documents themselves.
Dr John Bishop
UMR 7144 CNRS – UPMC Adaptation
and diversity of the marine environment,
Diversity and connectivity team for
the coastal marine environment
Marine Biological Association of
the United Kingdom, Plymouth
University lecturer at the Université
Pierre et Marie Curie
Biology and invasion ecology of
marine sessile animals
Head of the Sciences of the Universe
Observatory and the Roscoff
Oceanology Observatory
The Roscoff library indexes the grey literature and
books, not journal articles. The MBA library has
mainly indexed articles and extracts from books.
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Exploring the thesaurus
The thesaurus exploration tool
(left-hand column / «Browse»
section / thesaurus link)
indicates the different fields
covered by the database as
well as the number of records
attached to each field/sub-field.
Search for a bibliographic record
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Four broad searches can
be run in the ChanneLIS
database: (Figure 2) :
— a search by geographic
area («Browse» section /
«geographical info» link)
Figure 2
The fields involving scientific
texts are varied, including the
biology of algae, aquaculture,
pollution, fisheries,
marine physics, etc.
Figure 1
Exploration of the thesaurus tree structure
The thesaurus has three levels.
For example, the POLLUTION field has
CHEMICAL POLLUTION as a sub-field,
which is then sub-divided into
HYDROCARBONS, HEAVY METALS, DRUGS.
In the left-hand column, a block offers the
choice between different types of search.
— a simple search
— an advanced search
I nformation
Currently, not all of the records have
yet been linked to a geographic area
or taxonomy. The most complete
search results are obtained
using the advanced search.
I nformation
Records cannot be directly viewed
through the thesaurus.
To access the content of a
bibliographic record, see chapter 5,
«Search for a bibliographic record».
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— a search by taxonomy
(«Browse» section /
«taxonomy» link)
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5.1
Search by geographic area
5.2
Search by taxonomy
Figure 3
The geographic search (lefthand column / «geographical
info» link) accesses all of
the records related to either
area of the Channel or to
a particular site (Figure 3).
Search by geographic area or by site
7 key areas:
Normano-Breton Gulf
Ushant
Plymouth
Portland
Seine Bay
Eastern Channel
Isle of Wight
In Figure 3 the numbers listed
opposite each geographic area
correspond to the number
of bibliographic records
associated with the area.
12 specific sites
identified by
red points:
Brest
Morlaix
Ushant
Isles of Scilly
Land’s End
Start Point
Cape of the Hague
Brighton
Cape Gris-Nez
Dieppe
Leathercote Point
Bournemouth
Hover the mouse
over a name in the
table (Plymouth in the
example above) and
the corresponding
area on the map is
highlighted (in green).
Figure 4
The taxonomy link (lefthand column / «Taxonomy»
section) searches for
records linked to a taxon.
20 records are currently linked to Annelida
By clicking on the figure for the number of
related entries, the user can access a list
of records that refer to the taxon (figure 5).
From this list, the user can view the content
of a record by clicking on the record number
on the line of the corresponding table
>S
ee 5.5. Search results
Species are classed using the
WoRMS (World Register of
Marine Species) database.
A link to this database provides
additional information on the species.
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Search by taxonomy
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5.3
Simple search
Simple search is allowed in the
box in the search block (Figure 6).
It is carried out using the
following criteria:
— name of the author (correct
diacritic marks are required)
— key words
— site
— a word in the title
— geographic area
— taxon
— a word from the thesaurus
Figure 5
Table with the first 15 results
from the 20 records linked
to the Annelida taxonomic group
Figure 6
The box in the search block in the lefthand column enables search by key words,
author name, geographical area, etc.
Words can be entered
in both upper case and
lower case letters.
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Multi-criteria advanced search
5.4
Examples of searches
with thesaurus and GIS criteria:
Exemple 1
—Type of document:
reports
—Database:
Marine Biological
Association
—Word from the
thesaurus:
domain: human
activities;
sub-domain:
environmental
impact
Exemple 2
Figure 7
This type of search offers
the option of combining a
number of criteria (Figure 7):
— a word in the title
— type of record
(book, article, thesis, etc.)
— library (MBA or Station
Biologique de Roscoff)
— year of publication
Information on the formats of words entered
Title words can be entered in both
upper case and lower case letters
For author names: enter the first
three letters, a drop down will offer
the choice among a list of authors.
—Word from the
thesaurus:
Ecology
—Geographic area:
Plymouth
«add search criteria»
The user can add these criteria using the
«add search criteria» button (Figure 7) :
— geographic area(s) (or GIS)
— term(s) from the thesaurus
— authors
— taxa
— etc.
Information
in particular, the addition of
a GIS (geographic area) and/
or thesaurus criteria further
optimises the search results.
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Home page
of the advanced
search
—Database:
Marine Biological
Association
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Caution!
when the added
criteria has been
selected, you must
click on the “Add”
button to validate
your choice.
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5.4
5.5
Search results
5.5
Résultats d’une recherche
Figure 8
Table of the results of a search
From the table of results, the user can access
a detailed information page on the record
by clicking on the notice number (Figure 9).
Figure 9
Detailed view of a bibliographic record
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Interested in one or more documents?
How to view documents
The documents indexed in
the ChanneLIS database and
available in the libraries of the
Marine Biological Association
(National Marine Biological
Library) and of the Station
biologique de Roscoff, as the
case maybe, can be either
consulted on site or sent.
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Document donations
Would you like to donate a
document (report, thesis,
article, book, etc.) involving
the Channel that meets
the ChanneLIS criteria?
Please fill up the online
form available at:
www.channelis.eu/document_donation
In any case, please fill up the
online form available at:
www.channelis.eu/document_request
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With the financial support of