WISER : The Ovid databases Ovid is the platform for searching many of the life science and medicine databases. Juliet Ralph, Radcliffe Science Library February 2009

This session Access Searching and indexes Accessing the full text of papers Alerts Exporting records to RefWorks

Access OxLIP+ (Oxford Libraries Information Platform) Search for database name Remote access –Oxford University Single sign-on (SSO)

Why use Ovid databases? To do an effective literature search in life sciences or medicine Find out about journal articles published in your subject of interest Be confident you’re searching the key journals in the discipline These databases are well organised and up to date with plenty of handy search tools…

Which databases are available? AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine)AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine) BIOSIS (biology, biochemistry, experimental & pre-clinical medicine)BIOSIS (biology, biochemistry, experimental & pre-clinical medicine) CAB Abstracts (agriculture & forestry)CAB Abstracts (agriculture & forestry) Embase (the “European Medline”)Embase (the “European Medline”) GeoRef (geoscience)GeoRef (geoscience) Global HealthGlobal Health Medline (medicine)Medline (medicine) PsycINFO (psychology)PsycINFO (psychology) Zoological Record (zoology)Zoological Record (zoology)

Coverage JournalsDatesExtras Biosis Conference proceedings CAB Conf proc & theses Embase Conference proceedings Medline Trials PsycInfo Chapters & dissertations Zoo Record Conference proceedings

What are they searching? Article titleArticle title AbstractAbstract Descriptors / Subject HeadingsDescriptors / Subject Headings Journal titleJournal title AuthorsAuthors AffiliationAffiliation ReferencesReferences …..But not the full text…..But not the full text

Search tabs Basic Search –Natural language searching Find Citation –Locating specific references Search Tools –Indexes and thesauri Search Fields –Restricting searches to specific fields Advanced Ovid Search [ recommended ! ] –Keyword, author, title or journal Multi-field search

Advanced Ovid Search Map Term to Subject Heading –Matches terms with the controlled vocabulary (standard terminology) of a database –e.g. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in Medline –Brings together articles on your subject even if they don’t have your keyword in the title –Weeds out articles which happen to contain your keyword but are not actually about your subject –This option is not available when searching multiple databases simultaneously

Mapping Display – Migraine Disorders

Tree – Migraine Disorders

Scope Note – Migraine Disorders

Subheading Display – Migraine Disorders

Record display Results –Abstract –Complete reference –Full text –Find Oxford Find citing articles –Subsequent articles (on the Ovid platform) which have cited this one in their bibliography Find similar –Perform a new search using search terms taken from this record

Abstract

Complete Reference

Find Oxford

Full Text

Find Citing Articles

Find Similar

Search History Use this to combine searches Combine them with AND or OR

Limits Too many results? Use the Limits Limit types: –Language –Resource type (e.g. Review articles) –Publication year Additional Limits –available once a search has been performed

Basic Search tab Worth a try if you’re new to searching This uses “natural language” searching –Enter search as a phrase or question –Relevance determined by proprietary search algorithm –For single search terms, use Advanced Ovid Search instead Most relevant 500 records retrieved –For exhaustive searches, use Advanced Ovid Search

Results Display for Basic Search Records ranked in order of relevance Sorting options (e.g by date) Search Aid box –Lists terms used in search

Search Aid box Broaden/Narrow your search Narrow Search –Subjects –Authors –Journals Broaden Search –Add Related Terms

Alerts – for keeping up-to-date Automatic notification of new articles in your subject Set up Personal Account –Also allows you to add notes to records Save Search –Temporary/Permanent –AutoAlert (SDI) Scheduling Options (choose frequency) + RSS Not available when searching more than one database

Results Manager Options –Results (select which ones you want to output) –Fields (select which fields to include) –Result Format –Sort Keys Actions –Display –Print Preview – –Save (export to reference management package)

Display

Print Preview

Exporting records to RefWorks Results Manager –Results Format Direct Export –Save –Export results to RefWorks Account set-up and log in –

Guides OvidSP Quick Reference Card 08.pdf OvidSP User Guide 108_tabs.pdf 108_tabs.pdf OvidSP Basic Search actices_in_Basic_Search_ pdf

Further help available Ask Library staff Contact your subject librarian. See: Try our online tutorials (Medline & PsycInfo) tutorials