Run your search on other databases

• Create draft / master search in MEDLINE (Ovid)
• Share strategy with yourself via Email All Search History option

• Copy keyword lines from plain text section of Ovid email and save in plain text editor such as Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac)
• This will be your master keyword file - these are the keywords that you will use across every database (including those without subject headings, such as Scopus)

• Copy MEDLINE subject headings into a MeSH column
• Create columns for all other relevant thesauri e.g. Emtree (Embase, Emcare) and APA (PsycInfo)
• You may find a notes column for each thesaurus helpful

• Search for subject headings for each concept as you did for MEDLINE
• You may find that the heading is the same, slightly different, a synonym, or not available as a subject heading in this thesaurus
• Beware that exploding subject headings may find a different set of narrower terms in the new database

• Add equivalent and new subject headings to the spreadsheet
• Revisit your previous databases and check if newly discovered subject headings have equivalents

• Update keyword lines in master keyword file with newly discovered terms (e.g from Emtree scope notes, or new subject headings)
• Create new plain text file with subject headings for that database, master keyword lines, and line combinations (e.g. 3 AND 7)

• There are instructions on how to use the launcher on the Top tools and techniques page. NOTE: the Launcher may not work with more complex searches off-campus.

• Log in to MEDLINE and run your search.
• Then select Change under the Search Tools box.

• A new window will appear, listing the range of Ovid databases.
• Select one of the databases to search (eg Embase) and then select Run Search.
• Ovid will now run your search on this new database, ready for you to check and correct.

• Your subject heading lines can be identified by the presence of a forward slash / after the term, see below.
  
  
   
• You will need to check any MeSH to ensure that they have mapped across correctly. To do this:
  • Look up each term without the forward slash (e.g. enter back pain not back pain/).
  • You may find that the heading is the same, slightly different, a synonym, or not available as a subject heading in this thesaurus.
  • Check the scope note (i icon on right) to establish that headings cover the same ideas as the original MeSH.
    
    
     
• Select the subject heading hyperlink to view the subject hierarchy - you may identify additional related or nested terms.

Note: Emcare and Embase share the same subject headings, so if you have run your search on Embase, you can rerun it on Emcare without any changes.

• Keyword lines will not have a forward slash/ and will end in a field code such as .mp, which is the default code in Ovid.

• ​When remapping searches to different Ovid databases, you do not generally need to change your keyword lines.
• You may, however, choose to change your field codes. E.g. to search across title, abstract and author-supplied fields in MEDLINE, Embase or Emcare you would use .ti,ab,kf.

• When you have identified the correct subject headings for this database, you need to edit your search by selecting More > Edit.
  
  
   
• Replace the term with the new subject heading, being sure to add the forward slash after the term (eg Backache/)
• Run the search 
• Save your search as a new copy. Include the database name in the title (eg Search: Embase version)

• If you discover additional relevant subject headings, you can add these to your search. Just be sure to:
  • Revisit your previous databases and check if the term (or a similar subject heading) appears.
  • If so, add it to those searches too, and correct your combination lines.
  • Regardless, update the keyword line to include the new term for all databases.

• If the subject headings are too broad or are not relevant, remove that subject heading line from your search. Be sure to correct your combination lines.
• Remember the aim is to cover the same search scope as your master MEDLINE search.