Home > About Us

About OTDBASE

Made In Canada

OTDBASE, a Canadian-based and Canadian-developed occupational therapy journal literature search service, is the only internet-based indexing and abstracting service that contains over 8000 abstracts from over 20 national and international occupational therapy journals dated from 1970 to the present. Although most therapists are aware of professional information in their own occupational therapy journal, they generally have limited opportunity to know of the relevant literature in the many other occupational therapy journals published around the world. With both the art and science of occupational therapy growing, it becomes increasingly more important, and efficient, for all occupational therapists to be aware of new ideas and research being published around the world.

Our Founder

The idea of OTDBASE came to Marilyn Conibear in 1986 while on sabbatical from the occupational therapy program at the University of Western Ontario. Equipped with a new computer and database software, she began doing an inventory of her own books when the larger picture began to formulate, "Why not create a database of occupational therapy journals for all to use?"

Two years later, Marilyn had recorded 8 occupational therapy journals, personally inputting abstracts from as far back as 1970. Today the list of journals has grown to over 20.

Not intimidated by technology, Marilyn ensured that OTDBASE took advantage of new developments. Initially searches were mailed, then faxed, then e-mailed. Now, in just a few clicks of the mouse, subscribers can have access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Marilyn attributes her web-based success, first to Richard Powell of OT Internet World fame and then to Matt Bishop, the present OTDBASE engineer.

"Placing OTDBASE on the Internet has made it even more accessible to occupational therapists. As a former Moose Jaw occupational therapist, I know the difficulties of keeping up-to-date when you are not close to a large centre," explained Marilyn. "I wanted OTDBASE to save therapists time, be as accessible and as cheap as possible, and contribute to occupational therapists' continuing professional development and research."

She has succeeded. Many thanks Marilyn for reaching out to occupational therapists everywhere.

Article courtesy of Marilyn Conibear & The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

OTDBASE website developed by: Marilyn Conibear (FCAOT), Matt Bishop (MSE) and Trina Ogilvie of Proving Ground Media.

The Benefits of OT Abstract Search

There are many advantages to being able to search the abstracts of occupational therapy journals on the Internet. A few of those advantages are as follows:

It saves time. The amount of time clinicians, students and researchers spend in libraries trying to find occupational therapy literature which may or may not exist can be cut enormously. Now the time can be spent finding the complete articles you already know exist.

It broadens the therapist's knowledge base with an International repository of articles published by occupational therapists.

Prevents the "reinventing of the wheel" syndrome in occupational therapy. For example, you may discover that a program you were thinking of starting has already been tried and evaluated, or that the research project you were considering already has a pilot study completed and evaluated. Perhaps your search will reveal that a splint already designed and evaluated could well serve the needs of your patient with that unusual hand problem.