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How to search using Ovid

Recommended Ovid limits

There are several commonly used limits for Ovid databases (subscribed to by UM Libraries). This table shows which database offers which limit.

Database Age Language Publication Type Publication Year
CAB abstracts   Yes Yes Yes
EMBASE Yes Yes Yes Yes
Food Science and Technology Abstracts   Yes Yes Yes
Global Health   Yes Yes Yes
International Pharmaceutical Abstracts   Yes   Yes
JBI     Yes Yes
Medline Yes Yes Yes Yes
PsycINFO Yes Yes Yes Yes

Each database has other useful limits which can be found in the database guide.

Using limits

Applying limits to your search:

  1. From the database search page.
  2. Complete your search.
  3. Scroll to the Limits section of the page and do one of the following:
    1. Select from any of the limits presented to limit the last search line shown in the search history, click Search (button).
    2. Click Additional Limits (button; if available) for more limits and to be able to select the search string to be limited. Select limits as appropriate, click the Limit a Search (button).

Embase search limits

screen capture of ovid embase limit section of search page

Language limit

In Ovid databases, the languages represented in the Language limit includes only those for which there are results in the results page. At the UM Libraries, most of our collections are in the English language. This means that by limiting for English you can quickly narrow the focus of your search to those journals we are likely to have.  BUT we do have some materials in languages other than English and these would be removed from your result set.  The best way to use this limit is to include English and any of the other languages you can read.

UM Libraries doesn't have the material you need?

UM students, staff and faculty members can always request documents from outside of our collections using the Document Delivery service.  If you are requesting a document that is not in English, please include in the Comments section of the form that you can read the language of the material you are requesting.

Basic search example with age limit

Consider the search strategy used in the basic search:

1    (mortal* or fatal* or death).mp. 
2    ("cell phone*" or "cellular phone*" or "mobile phone*" or smartphone* or cellphone*).mp. 
3    ("distracted driv*" or "driving while distracted" or "inattentive driv*").mp. 
4    (teen* or adolescen* or youth or young).mp. 
5    1 and 2 and 3 and 4   

What would happen to the search if the age limit was used instead of the concept in line 4?

Steps to modify the search:

  1. Combine lines 1,2,3 with AND.
  2. Scroll to the Limits section of the page, and click the Additional Limits (button).
  3. Scroll to find the Human Age Groups (box), select Adolescent <13-17 years>.
  4. Click the Add a Limit (button).

See this search in action to compare the results: