OvidSP Database Limits focus your search to specific aspects of information. You may apply limits to filter criteria and reduce the number of records in your results set.
Access limit options can be done from two locations within your OvidSP session:
- common limits from the Basic Search tab, or
- the full suite of database limit options from the Limit a Search page.
| The Limits is closed, by default. | |
| Once you have logged into your personal account, OvidSP remembers the last state (open or closed) of the Limits function and the interface displays that state when you log again. |

Additional Limits give you two options:
- Default
- Custom
| If you have "Default" selected and then selects limits on the Additional Limits page, OvidSP changes to "Custom" and the current selections remain until you change them again. |
| OvidSP lets you refine searches directly from the Basic Search tab with an assortment of the most commonly used limits of the database.
OvidSP calls common limits from the full suite available to the database. The following are a few of the more common limits from database to database. |
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Full Text |
Retrieves only those records that provide full text access from any source (institutionally-subscribed Ovid Full Text, externally-hosted full text, and Open Access full text. | |
Human |
Retrieves only those records that pertain to human subjects. | |
Latest Update |
Retrieves only those records from the current update of the database. | |
Abstracts |
Retrieves only those records that include abstracts. | |
English Language |
Retrieves records written in English. | |
Publication Year |
Retrieves only those records from within a selected range of years. |
Applying common limit(s) from the Basic Search tab:

| Select the Basic Search tab. | |
| Type a term or phrase into the command line. | |
| OPTIONAL: Select the Check Spelling box, and OvidSP ensures that you have
typed terms correctly. Select the Include Related Terms box, and OvidSP expands results to include records more broadly related to the terms entered. |
|
| Select limits you want to apply to the search statement. | |
| Click the Search button. |
OvidSP applies the limits selected to the search statement and posts results to the search history.
| Selections of common limits may be preset automatically for searches (including jumpstarts) in a specific database or multifile. To request this functionality, contact your site administrator. |
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In addition to the common limits available from the Basic Search tab, you may access a greater selection of limit options by clicking the Additional Limits button.
OvidSP opens the Limit a Search Page. |

Limit a Search Page
| The Ovid Full Text limit and the Full Text limit are configured and enabled by your site administrator. If you do not see one or the other, contact your site administrator. |
Applying limits to a search statement from the Limit a Search Page:
| Select a search statement from the search history. | |
| Select the limits you want to apply. | |
| Click the Limit a Search button. |
OvidSP applies your limit selections to the search statement and posts results to the search history.
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OvidSP Database Limits