Ovid databases include information on many subject areas. They are international in scope. Journals@Ovid includes many full-text articles.

Go to CSU home page.

Select staff or student tab.

Select the Library home page.

Select the databases link in the resources section.

Select the OVID icon. A new screen is opened. Enter your D.I.T. username and password. From the list of available databases, choose Journals@Ovid.

NB. Use the Ovid navigational boxes/buttons eg "search" button.

Search terms. Enter search keywords in the search template or click on the appropriate icon at the top of the main search page - author, title or journal.

Boolean connectors can be used in a search strategy to broaden or narrow a search.

"and" refines or narrows a search. Find only citations that contain two or more terms.

"or" broadens search to include synonyms or alternative terms. Citations may include either of the terms.

"not" finds citations that contain one term but not the other.

Use truncation($ ) to search for variant word endings.

Aborig$ =aboriginal, aborigine

Smoke$ =smoke, smokes, smoking, smokers

Wildcard is used as a substitute for one or more letters. Useful for American spellings

Col?r=color, colour

Behav?=behaviour, behavior.

Search as keywords the following: diabetes and child$ and medication.

Use limits to full text only and change date to 1998.

Ways to limit a search include-

1. When commencing a search use the limits displayed under the command line.
2. Alternatively after completing an initial search click on the limit icon at the top of the main search screen. Select the search to limit. Select the limits to apply to your search and click on limit search button.

View search results: The results for each search will be displayed as sets on the main search screen. Click on the Display link beside desired search. This displays the citations of the first ten results of the search. Use the hypertext link to look at the complete record or the abstracts. Check the field Author Keywords to find more appropriate terminology.

Mark records: Select useful records by clicking in the box beside each citation.

NB Use the title display format when marking records.

Redo the search using specific searching of a field.

Select the icon Search Fields from top line of icons; choose Author Keyword

from the available list.

Do individuals searches using diabetes, and child$ . Use combine function to obtain more specific resources. Can also use expression "diabetes and child$" . Compare with previously obtained results.

Select the combine icon on the main search screen. Click in the boxes beside each search to be combined. Then click on "combine searches."

Save or email results:

Go to the Citation Manager which is located at the bottom of the titles display screen.

Citations - Select either "all on this page", "all in this set" or "selected (all pages)"

Fields - choose parts of the record to be saved - citation, citation plus abstracts, full text or select fields. NB Field options will vary between Ovid databases.

Citation format. Select Ovid

Display the search

Insert floppy disc

Then go to file menu on browser and select SAVE AS

Change to A drive and type name for document

Save the displayed search as a text file(txt)

Email: Select email option from Citation Manager and type in your email address.

Save search history: Click on "save search history" button on the main search screen to store all the sets created during the current session.

AutoAlert (SDI) saved search option will automatically rerun a saved search and email any new documents to the searcher.