CADLink
About the CADDIS Literature Database (CADLink)
CADLink is a database of research results extracted from the scientific literature. These research results—typically extracted from peer-reviewed publications—are used to provide evidence for (or against) cause-effect relationships, which in turn are used to develop and evaluate the causal pathways included in environmental assessments. Research results are summarized in terms of the cause-effect relationships evaluated in each publication, along with relevant details on study design, location, scale, analytical results, and other parameters.
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The primary goal of CADLink is to enable and promote more rapid application of scientific data to environmental management. It was created to make it easier to turn research results into evidence that is easily accessible and interpretable by environmental managers, thereby increasing the likelihood that their decisions are informed by available, sound science.
By entering research results into CADLink, you contribute to this process in two key ways. First, you are distilling complex scientific studies down to their key findings using a relatively simple, standardized format that can be more easily found and understood by the wider, non-research scientist community. Second, you are contributing to the larger evidence “bank” contained within CADLink, which can then be used by others concerned with similar issues.
There is a vast amount of evidence potentially relevant to environmental management decisions contained within the current scientific literature, and this amount is expanding every day. By distilling and banking evidence, you make it easier for other researchers and managers to apply your work beyond its original scope.
Accessing CADLink
Access CADLink using either the links in the navigation bar at left or the links below. Public users (i.e., users that have not registered to use CADLink) can search CADLink and download information; registered users can search CADLink as well as add new information to the database.
To become a registered CADLink user, visit the EPA Web Access Application page. If you have an EPA LAN account, log in with your user ID and password, then request access to the CADDIS community by (1) clicking Community Access > Request Access to Communities; (2) selecting CADDIS from the list; and (3) clicking Save Groups. If you do not have an EPA LAN account, click on the “Self Register” link at the top of the page to go to the self registration page. Complete the self registration form, selecting CADDIS in the bottom field as the community for which you are requesting access, and then submit your registration. Note that it may take several days to process your request for access; you will receive email confirmation when access has been granted. Once access is granted and you become a member of the CADDIS community, you can log into CADLink at any time.
Anyone can search CADLink and download information; however, only registered users are able to add new information to the CADLink database. Learn how to register to be a CADLink users below.
Public Users
Public users can search CADLink and download information, but cannot add new or edit existing information. Any member of the general public is considered a public CADLink user.
Public users enter CADLink at the Search Database page. From this page, public users can search CADLink, view summary citation and dataset information for the citations returned by those searches, and select citations for which to download CADLink and/or CADLit Archive database fields.
Registered Users
Registered users are any users that are registered and logged in as CADLink users. Registered users can add new information to CADLink (e.g., new citations, new datasets under existing citations, new supplemental files) and, with certain exceptions, edit existing information in CADLink.
Registered users enter CADLink at the Citation Search page. From this page, registered users can search CADLink, add new citations to CADLink, and access other pages where they can view, add, and edit existing information entered into CADLink for each citation.