Queen Square Library
UCL Institute of Neurology &
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH)
Brief guide to searching OvidSP databases
Which database should I choose?
A number of databases are available via OvidSP – they can
all be used to find bibliographic information which can then
be emailed, saved or imported into reference management
software. Each database covers different topics, including
some popular databases for biomedical topics:
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Embase – a European biomedical database with
excellent drugs & toxicology coverage
Medline – medicine & biomedicine & a wide range of
related subjects
PsycInfo – psychology & related subjects
Other databases of interest include: AMED (covering
physiotherapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, etc),
Biotechnology Abstracts (including patent information),
Health & Psychosocial Instruments, HMIC (NHS admin,
management & policy).
Access & logging in
OvidSP databases are available to all staff and students of
UCL via: www.ucl.ac.uk/Library/database - simply select
the one you require. For off-site access log in with your
UCL computing account.
Which type of search should I use?
Use the search tabs to select each different type of search:
Advanced Ovid Search is the default option and the
recommended method. It allows you to develop a strong
search strategy and to produce relevant and
comprehensive search results. Other options are:
Basic Search is useful for a ‘quick & dirty’ search bt can
lack depth. Simply type in a keyword and click Search. Tick
the ‘Include Related Terms’ box if you want similar terms to
be automatically included in your search.
Find Citation is useful if you are looking for a known item;
simply fill in the information you have and click Search.
Search Fields is useful to find words appearing in a
particular part of the database record. For example, to find
all the articles by one author click the Author box and enter
the surname plus the first initial & the truncate sign (e.g.
smith j$), tick Author & click Search. To find all the articles
in a particular journal use the Journal Search box.
How to build an Advanced Search
Before you begin a search, think about your question and
note the main CONCEPTS you want to search for and any
limits you may need to apply. For example:
What has been written in the last 5 years about
the use of NEUROLEPTIC DRUGS to treat
female patients suffering from DEMENTIA who
are aged between 35 and 65?
For each concept you should do both a subject heading
search and a plain keyword search, then combine them
together using OR to collect all the results for that concept.
1] Do a Subject heading search
Type the first concept (in our example, neuroleptic drugs)
into the search box, tick the ‘Map Term to Subject Heading’
box and click Search. Your concept is then ‘mapped’
against the database thesaurus to find any matching
subject headings. In Medline, neuroleptic drugs maps onto
the subject heading Antipsychotic Agents.
Next, decide if you want to Explode or Focus your concept.
Explode is recommended as it will search for your main
concept and any related, more specific concepts. Focus will
find only articles where the concept is a major topic. Next,
click Continue and then decide whether to limit your search
using Subheadings, simply by ticking any that apply.
Subheadings can be useful if you want to focus on one
aspect, e.g. therapy or diagnosis. However, they can also
cause you to retrieve very few results. If you do not want to
use subheadings, simply tick Include All Subheadings
and Continue to move past this screen.
If you would like more information or a training session, please contact the Library.
1st Floor 23 Queen Square – extn.84144 – neurolibrary@ucl.ac.uk
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/library/
© Queen Square Library - guide last updated 23-Feb-16
2] Do a Keyword search
Type the first concept into the search box again, untick the
‘Map Term to Subject Heading’ box and click Search. This
looks for your keyword in the title, abstracts and subject
fields of each record in the database. You can use * to
truncate – for example surg* will find surgeon, surgery,
surgical, etc.
3] Combine the search sets
You should now have two sets of search results which you
should combine together into one set.
Tick the box next to each of the two searches and combine
them using OR to collect all the results for this concept into
one search set.
Repeat the first three steps for your second concept (in our
example, dementia). When you have searched for both
concepts, combine the two search sets together with AND
to collect the results where both of the concepts appear.
4] Add some search limits
In our example we want to find items which were published
in the last 5 years and which deal with female patients
aged between 35 and 65.
To set limits, click Limits under the search box and then
click the ‘Additional Limits’ button to see more options.
Displaying results
To view the results click
Some useful additional features in the display include:
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the View Abstract button
the Find Similar button to see items on the same topic
the Find Citing Articles to see who has cited an item
the
button to view your full text options.
Mark, Save, Print, or Email results
Select the records you want to keep by ticking the box next
to each one and then use the Results Manager at the
bottom of the screen to Print, Save or Email your results.
Tip: use the Direct Export format to save your results into
reference management software.
Switching databases
If you wish to switch to a different OvidSP database, click
Ovid Resources just above the search box to view a list
and make a selection, choosing the date range most
suitable for your needs.
Note that, for our example, the Age Groups limit does not
include the exact age range we require, so we have to
choose two limits to cover the range.
When you have selected all the limits you require, click the
radio button next to the search set you are limiting and then
click the Limit a Search button at the bottom of the screen.
Should I search multiple databases at a time?
It is more effective to search each database individually in
order to access the different thesaurus search tools.
Medline uses the MeSH thesaurus (Medical Subject
Headings) & Embase uses EMTREE.
Help – click Help at the top of the screen or Ask a
Librarian!
Logging off – always remember to click Logoff on the
toolbar at the top of the screen at the end of your search.
If you would like more information or a training session, please contact the Library.
1st Floor 23 Queen Square – extn.84144 – neurolibrary@ucl.ac.uk
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/library/
© Queen Square Library - guide last updated 23-Feb-16