Searching

There are three search modes available in Ovid: Basic, Advanced and Fields Searching. You can navigate between the modes using the menu near the top of the screen.

The system defaults to the advanced search, providing you with one search box and a few limiting options.

You can use this box to enter your keywords and phrases. Multiple keywords can be combined using Boolean operators (such as AND and OR). Without operators, your keywords will be searched as adjacent. The advanced search allows very sophisticated searches using field tags and parenthetical statements:

• (thin and film$).ti and solar cell$.sh

Author Searching

You can perform author searches in two ways:

1. Browse author index:
   Click on the Author button then enter last_name then first_initial (e.g., hubbard m) to browse an alphabetical index of author names. Check all variations of the name, and then click on the Perform Search button. This method provides the most accurate results.
2. Search author field:
   Enter last_name then first_initial$.au (e.g., hubbard m$.au), then click on the Perform Search button to find all variations of the name.

Subject Searching

You can perform subject searches most effectively through advanced search. Enter your keywords (using Boolean operators as appropriate), and then click on the Perform Search button. For more precise searching, use the Thesaurus. Ei Compendex*Plus utilizes a thesaurus, or mapped scheme of subjects assigned to articles to facilitate subject searching. Click on the Tools button and choose Thesaurus to browse terms in the online thesaurus or simply check the Map Term to Subject Heading box on the main search page to map your search terms to the appropriate subject headings in the thesaurus.

Fields Searching

To search for terms in specific fields, enter the term and field tag separated by a period (e.g., fatigue engineering materials.jw). To search in multiple fields, separate the field tags with a comma (e.g., compressive stress.ti,ab). You can view indexes for any field by clicking on the Search Fields button. Then select the appropriate field, enter your term and click on the Display Index(es) button.

Truncation And Wildcards

You can use truncation and wildcards to find the variant endings and spellings of your terms.

Unlimited truncation ($)

Replaces an unlimited number of characters at the end of your term
(e.g., log$ = log, logs, logging, logarithm, logarithms, etc.)

Limited truncation ($n)

Replaces up to n characters at the end of your term
(e.g., log$1 = log, logs but not logging)

Mandated wildcard (#)

Replaces exactly one character within your term or at the end of it
(e.g., gr#y = gray, grey)

Optional wildcard (?)

Replaces one or no characters within your term or at the end of it
(e.g., model?ing = modeling, modelling)

Combining Searches

Ovid has several operators that allow you to combine multiple search terms into one search:

You can use these operators when entering searches in advanced search. You can also perform several searches then combine them using the Combine screen.

Here the author shackelford j$ (any author with the last name shackelford, first initial j with or without a middle intial) is searched in combination with any of the keywords biomat$ (biomaterial or biomaterials) or biocer$ bioceramic or bioceramics) or biomed$ (biomedicine or biomedical) and limited to publications from 1990-2003 only.

Limiting Searches

To refine your searches, you can limit them based on specific criteria. Click on the Limit button to set limits based on language, publication date, publication type, treatment, chemical role or numeric data.

Working With Search Results

Removing Duplicates

When you search article indexes simultaneously, you may get duplicate records for the same article. To eliminate duplicate records, click on the Remove Duplicates button below the Search History table. You can only remove duplicates from search sets of 6,000 or less.

Citation Manager

The citation manager displays at the bottom of every set of search results. The citation manager helps you to display, print and email citations. It also allows you to direct export citations to bibliographic managers such as EndNote or ProCite, or save citations for importing into bibliographic managers later.

Finding Call Numbers and Full-Text

Follow the option for each record in order to:

• Link directly to the full-text online when available through library subscription.
• Check the Melvyl Catalog/Periodicals to see if UCD has it.
• Request it if UCD does not own it.