Searching Ovid: Basic Search

Searching

Searching using Basic Search is different from constructing a line-by-line search strategy in Advanced Search.

1. Take your search question and remove the smaller connecting words, such as in, the, on, for. Keep the words related to the main concepts of your search. It is also a good idea to remove question words: who, why, how, what, when.

   For example:

   What are the adverse effects of opioid therapy on the endocrine system?

   Becomes:

   Adverse effects opioid endocrine

   You do not need to include, and should not use, synonyms, Boolean operators (OR / AND), or truncation (*). Ovid will do this for you. In general, phrase searching should also be avoided.
2. Type your simple search string into the search box.
3. Tick the box next to Include Related Terms.
4. Click Search.