Search Tab Options | Search History | Record Titles Display

OvidSP Main Search Page

When you first log in, OvidSP opens the Main Search Page. From here, you have easy access to the information you want and assistance throughout the interface.

If you are currently logged in to your Personal Account; your Last Name, First Name and the name of your institution is displayed above the "Search" Button.

	Main Menu	Logical groupings of menu items.
		Support Help Knowledge Base Search Content
	Text Tools Tab	A bar containing small icons for "Export", "Print" and "Email"
		Export - similar to the Email function, it enables you to export or save results, articles, chapters from every place in the application. Depending on what you are trying to save, different default names and export options are available. Print - allows you to print selected elements. Email - you may email results, articles, chapters or work products from every place in the application. Attributes associated with email are: To - validated to ensure the standard format of xxx@xxx.xxx. Multiple emails are allowed and are separated by commas. From - a required field and also validated to ensure standard format. It uses your email address as default, but is editable. Subject - default is based on where in the application this function is invoked. Comments - a free text form will allow users to enter comments to accompany the email. There is no character restriction. Contents - varies based on where in the application this function is invoked.

	Limits	Focuses your search on a specific aspect of information. Apply limits to filter criteria and reduce the number of records in your results set.
	Search History	Focuses your search on a specific aspect of information. Apply limits to filter criteria and reduce the number of records in your results set.
	Results Manager	Available either above the Results Set area or below. It has a link Actions that, when clicked, drops down a menu of the actions contained within the Results Manager.
	Search Aid Tools	Shows the terms used to retrieve the records in the display.

To search, follow these steps:

	Select a search tab (Basic Search shown).
	Type a term or phrase.
	OPTIONAL: Apply a database limit(s).
	Click the Search button.

The single button on the left side of the Main Search header is called "Search" with a small triangle proceeding it. Clicking the small triangle displays all search options from which you may select.

Your search options available are:

The selected tab is remembered if you logged into your Personal Account, which will be the default selected tab the next time you login.

An administrator can select the default tab for the entire organization, however; once you changed it, that change overrides.

OvidSP will post the results to your Search History.

Search Tab Options

OvidSP's Basic Search from the Main Search Page is the default search type. But you have several ways to search.

• Basic Search: Accepts natural language in any OvidSP resource--databases, journals, and books.
• Find Citation: The best option to find a specific article citation.
• Search Tools: All OvidSP database tools in one convenient location.
• Search Fields: Search and browse indexed fields of any resource.
• Advanced Ovid Search: Run Ovid Web Gateway syntax-based searches--from within the OvidSP interface.
• SilverPlatter Search: Run Ovid Web Gateway syntax-based searches--from within the OvidSP interface.
• MultiField Search: Enables you to search using multiple search terms.

Search type options and default settings may be configured differently from site to site. Contact your site administrator for these settings.

Without logging in to your personal account, settings and configurations done will not be saved once you logged out or once your session expires.

Search History

OvidSP posts and tracks the results sets in a search history window so you may:

• Combine them using the Boolean operators AND and OR.
• Save them as your history.
• View existing or saved searches.
• Delete or remove duplicates, if necessary.

Click the Display icon of a results set in the search history window to view results records. OvidSP opens that set in the Record Titles Display.

Record Titles Display

Each record titles display has three basic components.

	Search Aid	Shows terms used to gain results for the most recent search statement and highlights them in the record titles display. For further details, click here.
	Record Titles Display	Lists citations of records from a results set in the search history.
	Results Manager	Manages records in the display for output: Display, Print Preview, Email, Save and Order.