All the databases provide detailed online help facilities. Simply click on Help at the top right hand corner of the screen and select the section required.
If you wish to use the database, when prompted for your username and password, enter your student network username and password to gain access.
When logging in:
At the opening page of the database, click on the title of the database you wish to access.
Ovid databases default to a Basic Search screen.
To run a basic search, type your topic or subject in plain English in the basic search, then click on Search.
The Advanced Search option allows you to search using keyword, author, title or journal options.
The Advanced Search provides more flexible methods of searching. In Advanced Search, words and phrases can be combined to execute more complex searches.
This works in the same way as Advanced Search but separate search boxes are provided for each search term. Searches can also be applied to specific fields to improve precision and relevance of queries. Click on the arrow next to the Default Field boxes and select the field required. Next, type in keywords or phrases into the search boxes. Click on the Add New Row tab to add extra search boxes.
To combine search terms, leave the operator box to the left set to AND.
To exclude terms change the operator to NOT, using the drop-down arrow to the left. To search for either of two terms, change the operator to OR.
Your search results will automatically be displayed as a list of brief references to journal articles. The total number of results or hits will be indicated at the top of the list under the search statement.
The records can be sorted by various means including Year, Title or Author. Click in Sort By to select.
To view an abstract of a particular article of interest, click on the abstract link, under the reference. In order to locate a full text version of the article, click on the Find it! button next to the record you wish to view.
Find it! works by matching the search result against the resources to which the library subscribes. Wherever possible you will get a direct link to the full text of an article, even if it is held in another database. The Find it! menu will sometimes provide you with more than one link to a full-text article, simply choose the one you prefer. Some services will require you to login again using your ID and password, simply repeat the logging-in process again and the full text should be available.
If electronic full text is not available, you will be provided with links to alternative methods of obtaining the document, such as looking up print resources in the Library Catalogue and information about requesting an inter-library loan.
Records found in the databases can be marked by clicking in the box to the left of the record. Marked records can then be displayed, emailed, printed or saved by clicking on the relevant link under the Results Manager section.
To access, click the link at the top right of the screen. This allows you to create private workspace for saved search strategies and alerts, and to record annotations.
The first time you log in, enter a username and password that you choose, will be personal to you and should be noted for future reference. You can use your normal login id if you wish.
On subsequent log-ins, your username and password can be entered directly in the appropriate spaces in the sign in box.
Once you have signed in, you have access to an area of the database that is solely for your use.
To exit from the databases, either click on Logoff in the top right of the screen, close the file within your web browser, or click on the back key until you return to the Library web site.
August 2008