Population and Global Health

All Ovid databases have the same layout.

Click the  buttons below for more information.

It helps to understand how databases work to construct a successful search strategy.

A keyword search:

• Looks for exact words in the database record
• Does not search the full text of the article.

This is not like a google search which will correct your spelling and interpret your search (try to guess what you want).

This means you need to carefully select your words.

Example keyword search

• In Ovid the default search is .mp Multipurpose search
• This means Ovid will search for exact word/s you type in the title, abstract, and subject headings.

The following record is retrieved as moral distress appears in the database record, in the abstract.

If you had only told Ovid to search in the title, or used the phrase morally distressed the result would not have been found.

In a controlled, line-by-line search each term is on a separate line so we can see results and make amendments if needed. 

 Instructions from video

Use Advanced search, this is the default for University of Melbourne Ovid.

1. Type in keyword (or key term)
    
2. Press search
    
3. Select tick box for each line relating to the same concept.
   For more on identifying concepts see Plan your search.
    
4. Press OR button at bottom of search history.
   The combined lines represent your concept. You may want to check results to see they are as expected.
    
5. Select tick box for each concept
    
6. Press AND button at bottom of search history.

Subject headings are standard descriptions used by databases to help with searching.

• They help retrieve articles on a topic, even if different words are used in the text.
• The whole collection of subject headings is called a controlled vocabulary or thesaurus.
• Controlled vocabularies are an advantage of subject specific databases over general databases or google scholar.
• All Ovid databases have a controlled vocabulary.
   

Subject headings are arranged in a hierarchical structure, from the general to the specific.

Here is the hierarchy for the subject heading COVID-19.

Diseases

Infections

Pneumonia

Pneumonia, Viral

COVID-19

How to: Add a subject heading to your search

Subject headings are arranged in a hierarchical structure, from the general to the specific.

Search for any relevant subject headings on the following topics:
 

Medline (MESH)

• Middle Ear Infection
• Gastroenteritis

Embase (EMTREE)

• Anti epileptic drugs
  Compare this with MeSH, in particular the number of specific drugs that appear underneath the subject heading.

PsycInfo (APA Thesaurus)

• Antidepressant medication
• Trauma

• Click the search line where you want to see results
  It will be highlighted in blue.
   
• If your search line is not visible you may need to click Expand on the right.
   
• Click Display Results
   
• Scroll down the screen

1. You can select individual results to export or save using the tickbox, or nominate a range.
2. Toggle the amount of information you see for results. From the left: 
   • Title view
   • Citation View
   • Abstract View - recommended for most searches
3. Select how many results you see on each page.

You can send your searches to others using the 3 buttons on the bottom right of the search history.

1. Copy Search History Link - this will copy a link you can paste into an email or document. The recipient will need to login to Ovid.
2. Copy Search History Details - will copy each line of your search history to paste into a document or email.
3. Email all Search History -  send each line of your search history in an email.

Create account

It's a great idea to create a free Ovid account if you are working on a project or a search you would like to come back to.

• Click My Account at the top of the page

• You will be able to save searches and results which you can access by clicking My Workspace

A handy feature is being able to instantly transfer searches to another Ovid database.

• Select the Change link next to Resource selected

• Select the tick box next to the database you would like to move to.
• Click Run Search. 
  Don't click ok, this will just move you, but not the search.

A limit refines your search. It checks your chosen criteria in each result, for example

• the date published
• if an article is peer-reviewed
• if a study was a randomised controlled trial

and excludes results which don't meet the criteria.

The most common limits are available directly under the search box

• In your search history, select the tick box of the line you want to apply the limits to.
  Click Additional limits for more options
• Select the limit
• Press the blue search button

• Open Endnote

1. Select the references using tick boxes or range.
   • You can export up to 1000 references at a time. 
2. Select Export.
3. Select Format >  RIS
4. Under Fields, select the fields you would like exported.
   • We suggest Complete Reference
5. Include options:
   • We suggest not ticking either of these, as there are easier ways to access full text
     • External Resolver - takes you to Find it @ Unimelb
     • URL - a url link for Ovid, best if you are already logged into Ovid.
6. Click Export
   • This downloads a file for Endnote, how it works depends on your computer
     • automatically opens Endnote and imports
     • you click on file to open and import

RIS file export

1. Select the references using tick boxes or range.
   • You can export up to 1000 references at a time. 
2. Select Export.
3. Select Format >  RIS
4. Under Fields, select the fields you would like exported.
   • We suggest Complete Reference
5. Include options:
   • We suggest not ticking either of these, as there are easier ways to access full text
     • External Resolver - takes you to Find it @ Unimelb
     • URL - a url link for Ovid, best if you are already logged into Ovid.
6. Click Export

• This downloads an RIS file you can import into Zotero

Zotero browser connector

1. Open Zotero.
2. If it doesn’t already exist, create the Zotero folder you want to save the search results into
3. Click on the Zotero connecter (it should appear as a folder, if it is the letter Z it is disabled or you haven't opened Zotero)
   Any references Zotero finds on the page will appear
4. Select your desired references
5. Select your desired folder

• Click link for full text on left hand side of results list, it will appear as either:
  1. words -  Full Text
  2. button 

• You may
  • be taken immediately to the page
  • wait for a page to load
  • follow prompts

depending on the article.