Quick Search Guide for Health Databases

CINAHL (Ebsco) MEDLINE (OVID) EMBASE (OVID) PSYCINFO (OVID) COCHRANE INFORMIT HEALTH SCOPUS WEB OF SCIENCE
LIBRARY
SUBJECT All areas of nursing and Premier international Biomedical and Psychological, social, 7 databases covering Includes databases Multidisciplinary - Multidisciplinary -
COVERAGE allied health, includes biomedical database pharmaceutical database behavioural and health evidence based health covering indigenous Scientific, technical, Scientific, technical,
selected titles in covering healthcare, produced by Elsevier. sciences. care health, sports medical and social medical and social
alternative therapies and health sciences, nursing medicine, health & sciences fields, and sciences fields, and
consumer health and midwifery society, drugs, rural & arts and humanities arts and humanities
remote health,
general Australian
health
DATABASE SIZE 5,200+ journals, full-text 5,400 international 7,500 international 2,520 current journals, Cochrane Reviews Varies with database – 19,500 journals, 360 12,000 journals,
for 1,350 titles journals, some full-text journals, some full-text plus coverage of books, database includes includes articles, book series 150,000 conference
book chapters, and approx. 5,000 reviews conference papers, proceedings, 275,000
dissertations books, book chapters, books and book
government chapters
documents, theses.
TIME PERIOD 1937+ 1946+ 1947+ 1806+ Varies with database Varies with database, 1996+ 1956+
starting 1900+
UPDATING Weekly Daily Daily Weekly Quarterly Varies with database Daily Daily
PHRASE Enclose phrase in double Two or more words default to a phrase search Enclose phrase in Two or more words Enclose phrase in Enclose phrase in
SEARCHING quotation marks – eg. double quotation default to a phrase double quotation double quotation
Finding words “diabetes mellitus” marks – eg. “diabetes search. marks – eg. “diabetes marks – eg. “diabetes
together in the mellitus” mellitus” mellitus”
exact order To find phrases which
include ‘or’, ‘and’,
‘not’ enclose in double
quote marks
TRUNCATION Include asterisk (*) at Include asterisk (*) or dollar symbol ($) at end of word – eg. child* retrieves all Word variants are Include asterisk (*) at Word variants are Include asterisk (*) at
Identify both end of word – eg. child* words beginning with child automatically found – end of word – eg. automatically found – end of word – eg.
singular and plural retrieves all words eg. child* retrieves all eg. a search for child* retrieves all
forms of a word, beginning with child Limited truncation – specifies maximum number or characters that may follow – eg. clear finds clear, words beginning with criterion retrieves words beginning with
plus words that dog*1 or dog$1 will retrieve dog and dogs but not dogma clears, clearing, child criteria and criterion. child
begin with the clearer Truncation can also be
same set of tumor also find forced using the Can use * at beginning
letters. tumour asterisk (*) - eg. of a word to match
mouse also finds mice child* retrieves all words with suffix
run also finds ran, run, words beginning with (must type at least 3
runs, running child. letters) - – eg.
Can use * at beginning Can use * at beginning *tocopherol finds α-
of a word to match of a word to match tocopherol, γ-
words with suffix - – words with suffix – eg. tocopherol
eg. *tocopherol finds *tocopherol finds α-
α-tocopherol, γ- tocopherol, γ-
tocopherol tocopherol

The University of Newcastle, Australia – April 2016

 CINAHL (Ebsco)
WILDCARDS Use a question mark (?)
Identify words - eg. wom?n finds
that are spelt woman or women
differently.
# wildcard for alternate
spellings – colo#r
retrieves color and
colour
PROXIMITY Near operator (N) –
SEARCHING aborigin* n5 health*
finds results within 5
words of each other in
any order.
Within operator (W) –
aborigin* w5 health*
finds results within 5
words in the exact order.
LIMITING Limits available by
clicking the “Edit” link for
the search.
SAVED Yes. Create EBSCO
SEARCHES AND Account
AUTO ALERTS
Yes – mark individual
ENDNOTE records or page-by-page
(max 200 per download).
Can also email a link to
download up to 25,000
The University of Newcastle, Australia – April 2016
MEDLINE (OVID) EMBASE (OVID) PSYCINFO (OVID) COCHRANE INFORMIT SCOPUS WEB OF SCIENCE
LIBRARY
Use a question mark (?) - eg. wom?n finds woman or women Use an asterisk (*) to Use a question mark Use a question mark Use a question mark
match multiple (?) eg. wom?n finds (?) eg. wom?n finds (?) eg. wom?n finds
characters within a woman or women woman or women woman or women
word – eg. leuk*mia Use an asterisk (*)
finds both leukemia followed by number
and leukaemia to specify maximum
Use a question mark number of characters
(?) to match a single that may follow – eg.
character within a dra*3t to retrieve
word – eg. wom?n draft or draught
finds women or
woman
ADJ – aborigin* adj5 health* finds results within 5 words of each other in any NEAR – finds terms Use percentage PRE/x "precedes by". NEAR/x - Where the
order. within 6 words of each symbol (%) followed Where the first term terms in the search
other (in either order) by number to retrieve in the search must must be within a
FREQ – specifies number of times a term must appear within a record to be – eg. cancer near lung words in either order precede the second by specified number of
retrieved – must specify a field – eg. blood.ab./freq=5 – eg. cancer %3 lung a specified number of terms (x). Either word
NEAR/X – finds terms terms (x) – eg. lung may appear first. Eg.
within X words of each Use exclamation mark pre/3 cancer lung near/3 cancer
other (in either order) (!) followed by W/x "within". Where SAME – used in
– eg. cancer near/3 number to retrieve in the terms in the address fields to
lung exact order – eg. lung search must be within restrict searches
NEXT – finds words !3 cancer a specified number of terms to those
when they appear terms (x). Either word occurring within the
next to each other (in may appear first. Eg. same field – eg.
the specified order) – lung w/3 cancer university of
eg. hearing next aid Newcastle same
australia
Basic limits listed under the search entry box, other limits are available via the Limit by Cochrane Limit to fulltext, year Some limits available Some limits available
“Additional Limits” button. database, most recent of publication only at Search Screen, at Search screen,
update. additional limits additional limits
available at left on available at left on
Results Screen. Results screen.
Yes – Create OVID Account via “Save” or “My Account” Yes – Create Wiley Yes – create Informit Yes – create Sciverse Yes – create Thomson
Account via “Saved Account via “Save” Account via “Settings” Account via “My
Search” button Saved Searches”
Yes – mark individual records or ranges (max 500 per download) Yes – mark individual Yes – mark individual Yes – mark individual Yes – mark individual
records or all results records , all records, records , all records, records or ranges
list. or range (max 200 per or range (max 2,000 (max 500 per
download) per download) download)