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Database tutorials

Systematic searching in MEDLINE

MEDLINE contains more than 30 million references to journal articles in life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine. MEDLINE's comprehensive search functionality allows the user to develop a complex but sensitive systematic literature search. It is the recommended database to finalise your search strategy before repeating the search in your other chosen health databases.                                                                    

Access to MEDLINE is via the University Library web page databases tab.

Tutorial

MEDLINE

Character used

Explanation

Usage example

Results

*

Truncates the word to include all possible word endings

gene*

gene, genes, genetics, and generation

* followed by number

Truncates the word but limits how many letters – indicated by the number

dog*1

Dog, dogs

(not dogma)

#

Stands for one letter that must be present

organi#ation

dog#

organisation, organization

dogs (not dog)

?

Stands for one letter that may or may not be present (spelling variants)

colo?r

color, colour


ADJn

The adjacency operator retrieves records that contain search terms within a specified number of words

(eating adj2 disorder*)

Eating disorder, disordered eating, eating and feeding disorder

NOT

Use NOT to exclude

1 NOT 3

All of the results from search 1 where the results from search 3 are not present

A comprehensive list of Medline searching tips is available here: https://ospguides.ovid.com/OSPguides/medline.htm#advanced

Create an account in OVID to save searches and set up alerts. This account will allow you to save your search for any database you are searching within the OVID environment, including PycInfo, Embase, Amed etc.. 

WARNING: Do not select and search mutiple databases or switch between databases when searching within the OVID environment.   Access each database individually to avoid skewing your results.  If you wish to systematically search both MEDLINE and PsycInfo,access from the library database page via the specific database link.

 

As you are working through the search, it is also recommended that you intermittently copy and paste the search history link into a word document, email or One Note, to click and rerun. Just in case you encounter technical difficulties during the process.

When you click on this link to rerun your search, you may receive a warning not to proceed. Move to advanced and override.

Manage and filter your results using EndNote or another referencing management system such as Zotero.

To export to EndNote:
1. Select All references
2. Select Export
3. Specify the content you want included (e.g., citation, abstract, subject headings, etc.)
4. Select Export
5. Click on the downloaded file 'ovidweb.cgi' and the references will be automatically added to your library.
6. Create a group folder for MEDLINE and move results to this folder. 

 

 

PubMed

PubMed allows you to save your search results in a number of ways, including by creating a personal account.

This knowledge article from Clarivate (the publisher of EndNote) explains the steps to follow in order to export your results into EndNote.

PubMed search features tools which may make it unnecessary to use special tags or syntax, including any of these in your search will override the tools.

A comprehensive guide for searching, including an explanation of the tools and how they operate is available on the PubMed website.

Character used

 Explanation Usage example Results
" " Enclosing 2 or more words in quotation marks will search for the exact phrase as written. "mental health" Mental health
* The asterisk symbol acts as both a wildcard and truncation, substituting for 0 or more characters in a term or phrase.

"vaccin* schedul*"

 

 

organi*ation*

"vaccine schedule", "vaccine scheduling", "vaccination schedules"... etc.

 

organisation, organization, organisations, organizations... etc.
"search terms"[field:~N] The tilde symbol allows you to create a proximity search in the [title], [title/abstract] or [affiliation] fields only.

Search PubMed for citations with the terms "rationing" and "healthcare" appearing within 2 words of each other--in any order--in the Title field:

"rationing healthcare"[Title:~2]

 rationing healthcare, healthcare rationing, rationing of healthcare, rationing in healthcare, rationing universal healthcare, rationing strategies in healthcare, rationing limited healthcare... etc.

 

Search alerts

Search alerts are an efficient way of receiving notifications of new publications added to databases that match search criteria. They are offered by free services on the Web and subscription databases.

The process for setting up a search alert generally involves:

  • setting up a database account
  • searching a database and saving the search as an alert
  • nominating a delivery frequency and method (e.g., email or RSS)

Instructions for setting up journal alerts in key databases

Google alerts

Alerts are available for Google and Google Scholar searches.