After you have run your search on MEDLINE, you need to run it on your other databases. Your new search should be the same as your MEDLINE search, only changing as much as necessary to get it to work in the new database.
This page will show you how to remap your master MEDLINE search to other Ovid databases (Embase, Emcare, and PsycINFO), PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science.
Please note: database interfaces change frequently, and some of the resources on this page no longer match the current interfaces. The Library is currently reviewing all resources on this page. |
NEW December 2021/January 2022: the following PDF guides show how to translate your search to a range of databases. Correct at the time of production but subject to interface changes! |
Different databases use different search syntax, operators, and default search fields. When you are remapping your master search to your chosen databases, it is important to consider whether you will need to adapt any aspects of your search strategy such as phrase searches, truncation, wildcards, and adjacency.
The PDF below shows how to translate these elements across a number of key databases:
The steps below represent our recommended method of translating a search to another database on the Ovid platform, to save time and reduce errors.
Select the headings below to learn how to remap your MEDLINE search to other Ovid databases. The process is the same whether you are remapping to Embase, Emcare, or PsycINFO.
Select the headings below to learn how to remap your search in Ovid.
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.
'If a tool was used to automatically translate search strings for one database to another, specify the tool used.' PRISMA 2020 Explanation and Elaboration, p. 7
Other standards
The Cochrane Library has its own interface so you will need to re-enter your entire search. You will need to search for your subject heading lines and your keywords lines, just like searching in Ovid.
Select the headings below to learn how to remap your search in Cochrane.
In the Cochrane Library, you need to build your search with Search manager:
After adding each subject heading line, you need to add the corresponding keyword line.
Note: If you used proximity/adjacency symbols (ie in MEDLINE adj3 etc), you'll need to change these to near/3 .
Watch the videos below to learn more about using the search manager in the Cochrane Library.
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