1. NAVIGATION
• Clearing the Command Line
• Quickly Viewing Documents
• Reviewing Long Search Statement Lists
• Ovid "Dot-Dot" Commands
• Adding Comments to Search Statements


2. TRUNCATION & WILD CARDS
• Unlimited Truncation
• Limited Truncation
• Mandated Wild Card
• Optional Wild Card


3. POSTQUALIFICATION
• Postqualifying Index Searches
• Including Adjacency in Postqualification Statements
• Postqualifying Statements Containing Boolean Operators
• Searching Indexes Containing Numbers

NAVIGATION

Clearing the Ovid Command Line

• Pressing the Escape key <Esc> at the Ovid search prompt will quickly clear the command line, and is much faster than using the backspace key.

Quickly Viewing Documents

• The tab key can be used to move the cursor from the search prompt to the search statement list. The cursor will be positioned to the left of the last search statement entered. Pressing the Enter key will display the results of that search statement.
• Alternately, while the cursor is in the search statement list, the up and down arrow keys can be used to position the cursor at any desired search statement, and the Enter key can then be used to view the results of that search statement.
• Pressing the tab key again while the cursor is positioned in the search statement list will return the cursor to the search prompt.

Reviewing a Long Search Statement List

• If your search contains more statements than Ovid can display on the screen at one time, you can quickly review the statements from the search prompt by using the up and down arrows to scroll the search statement list up and down.

Ovid "Dot-Dot" Commands

Enter these easy dot-dot commands in the Ovid search box to save time.

• ..ps prints the current search strategy.
• ..e executes a temporary or permanent saved search. For example, entering ..e mysearch at the Ovid command line will execute a saved search named mysearch.
  ..pg deletes specific search statements. For example, entering ..pg 5,7-9 will delete set 5 and sets 7 through 9. This method is faster than using the mouse or space bar to select sets to delete.
  Some limits can be entered quickly using the ..L command. Entering ..L/5 ab=y on the command line will limit set 5 to those records containing abstracts. Using ..L without specifying a set number will apply limits to the last set entered; for example, ..L/ab=y and lg=en and hu=y will limit the last set entered to English language records which contain abstracts and are primarily about humans.
  ..? brings up a list of available dot-dot commands and their syntax.

Adding Comments to Ovid Search Statements

• Ovid interprets text entered in square brackets ("[" and "]") as a comment, and ignores it when processing the search. However, the comment text does appear in the search statement list. Comments can help you keep better track of complex search strategies. Example: [state name may be abbreviated in institution field] (texas or tx or tex).in. searches only (texas or tx or tex).in., but preserves the bracketed comment text in the search history for your reference.
• You can also append comments to the end of any search statement: neoplasm?.tw. [neoplasm or neoplasms or neoplasma]
• When a saved search containing comments is executed, the comments appear in the search statement list, just as you typed them.

TRUNCATION & WILDCARDS

Unlimited Truncation

Unlimited truncation is used to retrieve all possible suffix variations of a root word.

• Type the desired root word or phrase followed by either of the truncation characters "$" (dollar sign) or ":" (colon.)
• The search "disease$" would retrieve the word "disease," as well as "diseases," "diseased," etc.
• Use unlimited truncation with care, since you can accidentally retrieve documents with unwanted words. The search "rat$" would retrieve documents with "rat" and "rats," but also those with "rate," "rationalize," "ratify," etc.

Limited Truncation

Truncation can be used with any digit to specify the maximum number of characters that may follow the root word or phrase.

• The search "dog$1" would retrieve documents with the words "dog" and "dogs," but would not retrieve documents with the word "dogma."

Mandated Wild Card

The wild card character "#" (pound sign or hash mark) can be used within or at the end of a query word to substitute for one required character. It is useful for some plural forms.

• The search "wom#n" would retrieve documents with the words "woman" and "women." You may use multiple wild cards in a single query word.
• Note that this wild card will require that a character be present. For example, the search "dog#" would retrieve documents with the word "dogs," but not those with the word "dog."

Optional Wild Card

Another wild card character is "?" (question mark.) It can be used within or at the end of a query word to substitute for 1 character or no characters. This wild card is useful for retrieving documents with British and American word variants, since it specifies that you want retrieval whether or not the extra character is present. You may use multiple wild cards in a single query word.

• For example, the search "colo?r" would retrieve documents with the words "color" and "colour."
• Note that it is not possible to use the "?" wild card if there is only one letter in front of the wild card. For example, the search "f?etal" is not acceptable and will result in an "invalid truncation syntax" message.

POSTQUALIFICATION

Postqualification is a feature which allows you to modify an existing search by using set numbers. Ovid translates the "shorthand" entry to an actual search, re-executing the previous search statement and posting results in a new search statement. Using postqualification saves you time by making it unnecessary to re-key long or complex search statements already posted to a set. The following functions are available:

Postqualifying Index Searches

If you have already posted a set, you can change the field(s) from which the query terms were retrieved without retyping the query itself.

You enter:	Ovid displays the search as:
liver.ti,ab	1. liver.ti,ab.
1.ti.	2. liver.ti.
(liver or lung).ti,ab.	3. (liver or lung).ti,ab.
3.ti.	4. (liver or lung).ti.

Including Adjacency in Postqualification Statements

If you have already posted two or more sets, you can specify that their query terms be retrieved adjacent to each other without re-typing the queries themselves.

You enter:	Ovid displays the search as:
heart.ti.	1. heart.ti.
attack.ti.	2. attack.ti.
1 adj 2	3. (heart adj attack).ti.

Postqualifying Search Statements Containing Boolean Operators

You can combine multiple sets using Boolean operators, then postqualify the resulting set to a different field(s).

You enter:	Ovid displays the search as:
dogs.ab.	1. dogs.ab.
cats.ab.	2. cats.ab.
1 or 2	3. 1 or 2
3.ti.	4. (dogs or cats).ti.

Searching Indexes Containing Numbers

When searching numerical indexes from the command line (such as pagination (PG), volume (VO), and issue/part (IP) fields) you must enter your numerical search term enclosed in either apostrophe marks (') or quotation marks ("). Otherwise, Ovid will interpret the digits as postqualification of an existing search set. Note the examples below:

You enter:	Ovid displays the search as:
jama.so.	1. jama.so.
1.pg.	2. jama.pg.
'1'.pg.	3. '1'.pg.

The exception to this rule occurs when searching numbers that do not already exist as set numbers. For example, the search 94.yr. will retrieve the number "94" in the YR field unless set 94 exists. If set 94 does exist, the search 94.yr. will postqualify set 94 to the YR field.