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Ovid databases

Guide to using Ovid databases

Search History

Click Search History in the top left-hand corner to view your searches and the number of results for each one.

You can use the Search History to:

Standard notation used in the Search History can help you determine the nature of each search line:

  • Search lines ending with a forward slash are thesaurus searches.
  • An exploded subject heading is indicated by exp in front of the heading.
  • Thesaurus terms are indicated by an oblique stroke at the end.
  • Subheadings are shown after the oblique stroke as abbreviations; the meanings are in square brackets.
  • By default, textword searches end with .mp.
  • Where you have combined searches, a new search line is created which shows the search line numbers of the combined searches..
  • Where you have applied limits, an additional search line is created with limits displayed in parenthese.

Ovid search history

  • Truncation is indicated by an asterisk. The fields searched are shown by the code .mp. (multi-purpose) with more details in the square brackets.
  • The adjacency operator used in this example is adj5.
  • When you combine searches, only the line numbers are shown in the search history.
  • Limits are shown in parentheses.

Search History and combining searches

Ovid combine searches

To combine searches, use the box(es) alongside each search line and click AND or OR. Your combined search forms a new line in the History. You can also remove searches by ticking the box(es) and clicking the Remove button at the bottom of the history panel.

Editing a search history

You may find you wish to edit your search history, particularly where you are building up a complex search strategy. For example, you may need to edit a search term, such as by adding truncation (see textword searching), or to add or remove a search term.