1. MEDLINE
ON OVID
opening

2. What you need to start On campus:
Library registration (at library counter)
Network registration (at library counter)
Medline OVID passwords (from information specialists)
Ask for training sessions if you still feel uncomfortable searching Medline
Off campus:
Library registration & OVID Medline passwords

3. Background A biomedical database Covering years since 1966
Indexing journals only
± 4000 journals indexed
International coverage

4. Type in passwords for access
Get passwords
from library
welcome

5. General OVID information. Click on continue.

6. Choose a database
Choose database

7. Medline can be searched in different time periods
Latest 5 years
most popular

8. For starters! Specify your topic
Break up your topic in its different parts if more than one
Start searching the parts or terms one by one
After searching the different terms, you will combine them logically

9. Type in the first part of your topic
First search term

10. MESH Medical Subject Headings An alphabetical list of medical terms
MESH makes efficient searching easy for everyone

11. Advantages of MESH
Automatic cross-referencing from non-MESH to MESH terms
Cover British/American spelling
Include singular/plural terms
Include synonyms
MESH terms link to subheadings
MESH terms will take you step-by-step through database searching on OVID

12. Your typed-in subject term will be “mapped” to a MESH term
Mapping term

13. EXPLODE MESH terms are organised into tree structures
The TREE structure arranges MESH terms into broader and narrower terms
Medline has an EXPLODE function which enable you to use a broader term while simultaneously include all its narrower terms
Enable the EXPLODE function by clicking on the EXPLODE block at the right side of your MESH term

14. Click in this box to explode
Tree structure

15. FOCUS Medline has the powerful function of focusing
Focusing means to throw out less important articles
You can restrict your MESH term to the most important articles on that topic by clicking in the FOCUS block at the far right side of your MESH term

16. Click in this box
to focus
Explode/focus

17. The information icon shows a scope note of the MESH term

18. Subheadings
Subheadings enable searching on specific aspects of your topic eg diagnosis, etiology, economics or epidemiology
You can mark more than one subheading simultaneously
Using subheadings = potent searching!

19. Choose one or more subheadings or none if so preferred

20. REMEMBER MANAGEMENT OF A DISEASE:
There are different subheading options to cover the management of a disease.
You can choose one or more subheadings such as surgery, diet therapy, drug therapy, radiotherapy or even rehabilitation.
Note on subheadings

21. Type in the next part of your topic
Second term of topic

22. Each new term will take you through the searching process again
Mapping/focus/explode

23. Subheading/keep focused

24. BOOELIAN LOGIC AND / OR / NOT
HEART DISEASES
HYPERTENSION
BOOELIAN LOGIC or

25. BOOELIAN LOGIC
AND
HEART
DISEASES
HYPER
TENSION
AND
AND

26. BOOELIAN LOGIC
NOT
Not
CONGENITAL
HEART
DISEASES
HEART
DISEASES
NOT

27. Combine the two terms to articles containing both
COMBINE SETS

28. And make less

29. LIMIT function
Medline covers veterinary sciences, all languages, different publication types, all ages and the time period since 1966.
The powerful LIMIT function enables you to limit your search to all of the above categories and more. You can limit eg to only human and English references.
Limit to REVIEW articles
The LIMIT functions can be used by directly marking the LIMIT blocks under the command bar or use the expanded function on the top of the screen (dart board icon)
limiting

30. Click on
LIMIT icon
And make less

31. Clicl another box to limit other than last set
Limit your search
Clicl another box to limit other than last set

32. Press Ctrl button to choose more than one

34. References will be displayed in bibliographic format under the search strategy

35. Mark your preferences for display and output format

36. About 65% of the Medline database references provide abstracts

37. UP subscribes to ± 70 full text journals on OVID
UP subscribes to ± 70 full text journals on OVID. Click on Ovid full text to see article

38. Full text article appears on screen in OVID format
Full text article appears on screen in OVID format. Saving or ing an article in this format, will loose the graphics and tables.

39. Choose. pdf format if available
Choose .pdf format if available. If not, click on print preview to change the graphics to a readable and printable format.

40. Medline HELP
On the Medical Library homepage:
You will find a link:
10 Ways to improve your Medline search

41. FEEL WELCOME TO ASK FOR HELP
Enjoy searching!
Created by Myleen Oosthuizen June 2003