How do I search in MEDLINE Ovid?

In MEDLINE Ovid, the indexed part of PubMed is included, but also newly added references (Epub Ahead of Print and In-Process) and other non-indexed material. Ovid is a database platform used for many different databases. 

  • There are several advantages of searching MEDLINE via Ovid instead of PubMed. In Ovid it is possible to use proximity operators. It is also easier to structure comprehensive and advanced search strategies, and to edit search strategies.
  • To search in the MeSH field, type a forward slash symbol after the MeSH term. If you write "exp" before the MeSH term, it means that it is exploded, i.e. narrower terms are also included in the search.
  • The free-text terms are usually searched for in the Title, Abstract and Author Keywords fields. Put the free-text within a parentheses and write ".ti,ab,kf." immediately after the parenthesis.
  • The search terms are searched as phrases when you search in Title, Abstract and Author Keywords search fields.
  • In Ovid, the proximity operator adj is used. Adding a number after adj will determine how many words you want to “allow” between your two terms. 
  • To edit a row, click the arrow next to "More", and then "Edit".

This is how a search using two different search blocks might look in MEDLINE Ovid. The search terms within each block are combined with OR, then the blocks are combined with AND:

A systematic search in Medline Ovid

How to do a systematic search in MEDLINE Ovid

Last updated: 2023-12-08