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How to locate and exploit index terms on APA PsycInfo on Ovid using the APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (R).
APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
Ovid Training Team
2025-03-17
Training
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This focused search will provide you with a quick introduction to indexing on APA PsycInfo on Ovid. The focused search demonstrates how an entry term (as given in the search lines below in bold script) is mapped onto its equivalent thesaurus term in APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (R)..
Points to note:
Instructions:
anorexia nervosa/ [1. Entry Term: eating disorders, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
exp digital interventions/ [1. Entry Term: internet, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
1 and 2
limit 3 to ("0800 literature review" or "0830 systematic review")
limit 4 to "remove medline records" Questions:
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
anorexia nervosa/ [1. Entry Term: eating disorders, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
exp digital interventions/ [1. Entry Term: internet, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
1 and 2
limit 3 to ("0800 literature review" or "0830 systematic review")
limit 4 to "remove medline records" Database: APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
How to locate and exploit index terms on APA PsycInfo on Ovid using the APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (R).
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This focused search will provide you with a quick introduction to indexing on APA PsycInfo on Ovid. The focused search demonstrates how an entry term (as given in the search lines below in bold script) is mapped onto its equivalent thesaurus term in APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (R)..
Points to note:
Instructions:
anorexia nervosa/ [1. Entry Term: eating disorders, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
exp digital interventions/ [1. Entry Term: internet, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
1 and 2
limit 3 to ("0800 literature review" or "0830 systematic review")
limit 4 to "remove medline records" Questions:
anorexia nervosa/ [1. Entry Term: eating disorders, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
exp digital interventions/ [1. Entry Term: internet, 2. Navigate to prefered term ]
1 and 2
limit 3 to ("0800 literature review" or "0830 systematic review")
limit 4 to "remove medline records" Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
OvidGo! - Wolters Kluwer - Health Learning, Research and Practice
OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Knowledge Discovery through Indexing (APA Thesaurus) [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2025 [updated 2 March 2024; cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=113
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
How to locate tests and measures in APA PsycTests(R) from a reference in APA PsycInfo.
APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
Ovid Training Team
2025-03-17
Training
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This Focused Search has two parts. The first part involves locating systematic reviews that discuss empathy in medical students in the course of their medical education. The second part is to establish what tests and meaures have been used to assess empathy, its presence or absence, development or decline, and to obtain further information on the relevant tests and measures.
When using the Advanced Search mode in a bibliographic database like APA PsycInfo on Ovid, it is good practice to divide the research question into main concepts, that is ideas that can be expressed in specific terms. These terms can then be used as your search terms.
Where a database has behind it a thesaurus, also referred to as a controlled vocabulary, it is recommended that you start your search by obtaining the thesaurus rendering of your chosen concept search term. In the Focused Search example, these are lines #1 for the ideas 'medical student and medical education' and line #4 for 'empathy' . In each case the '/' after the terms indicating they are theasurus terms.
To complete a full concept search it is further recommended that the thesaurus term be complemented by a free term search. This ensures more comprehensive coverage. For instance, that you capture records that because of their very recent inclusion in the database, have not been fully processed, meaning they have not yet had thesaurus terms allocated to them.
Lines #3 and #6 show the completed concept search for the concepts; medical students, medical education and empathy.
Line #8 draws upon the assumption that publications that are systematic reviews, now state this explicitely in the title of the publication.
Line #10 draws upon knowledge of the fact that in APA PsycInfo records, tests and measures are listed in a database record, word-indexed field called Tests & Measures (TM). Where a test digital object identifier is also avaiable, this is also captured in a phrase-indexed field Test DOI (TD). The Test DOI embedded in the APA PsycInfo records affects a direct link to the APA PsycTests (R) database and further bibliographic information on the test in question.
Practice Suggestions:
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
medical students/ or exp medical education/
(medical student$ or medical education).ti,ab.
1 or 2 [Concept 1: Thesaurus and free term search]
empathy/
empath$.ti,ab.
4 or 5 [Concept 2: Thesaurus and free term search]
3 and 6
systematic review.ti. [Publication type as stated in title]
7 and 8
limit 9 to test doi
Database: APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
How to locate tests and measures in APA PsycTests(R) from a reference in APA PsycInfo.
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This Focused Search has two parts. The first part involves locating systematic reviews that discuss empathy in medical students in the course of their medical education. The second part is to establish what tests and meaures have been used to assess empathy, its presence or absence, development or decline, and to obtain further information on the relevant tests and measures.
When using the Advanced Search mode in a bibliographic database like APA PsycInfo on Ovid, it is good practice to divide the research question into main concepts, that is ideas that can be expressed in specific terms. These terms can then be used as your search terms.
Where a database has behind it a thesaurus, also referred to as a controlled vocabulary, it is recommended that you start your search by obtaining the thesaurus rendering of your chosen concept search term. In the Focused Search example, these are lines #1 for the ideas 'medical student and medical education' and line #4 for 'empathy' . In each case the '/' after the terms indicating they are theasurus terms.
To complete a full concept search it is further recommended that the thesaurus term be complemented by a free term search. This ensures more comprehensive coverage. For instance, that you capture records that because of their very recent inclusion in the database, have not been fully processed, meaning they have not yet had thesaurus terms allocated to them.
Lines #3 and #6 show the completed concept search for the concepts; medical students, medical education and empathy.
Line #8 draws upon the assumption that publications that are systematic reviews, now state this explicitely in the title of the publication.
Line #10 draws upon knowledge of the fact that in APA PsycInfo records, tests and measures are listed in a database record, word-indexed field called Tests & Measures (TM). Where a test digital object identifier is also avaiable, this is also captured in a phrase-indexed field Test DOI (TD). The Test DOI embedded in the APA PsycInfo records affects a direct link to the APA PsycTests (R) database and further bibliographic information on the test in question.
Practice Suggestions:
medical students/ or exp medical education/
(medical student$ or medical education).ti,ab.
1 or 2 [Concept 1: Thesaurus and free term search]
empathy/
empath$.ti,ab.
4 or 5 [Concept 2: Thesaurus and free term search]
3 and 6
systematic review.ti. [Publication type as stated in title]
7 and 8
limit 9 to test doi
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
OvidGo! - Wolters Kluwer - Health Learning, Research and Practice
OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Knowledge Discovery through Cross Referencing [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2025 [updated 2 March 2024; cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=114
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
How to construct searches using either a user defined group of fields or the database specific ‘multi-purpose’ (.mp) set of fields as provided by Ovid.
APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
Ovid Training Team
2025-03-17
Training
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
In this Focused Search the task is to retrieve literature from APA PsycInfo on Ovid that discusses 'fitspiration', and whether or not it has a negative impact on body image. 'Fitspiration', also referred to as 'fitspo', is the term given to information, most usually from internet related sources, i.e. social media posts and websites, that is designed to promote fitness and better health.
When using the Advanced Search mode in a bibliographic database like APA PsycInfo on Ovid, it is common practice to enter a search term or terms followed by the field or fields you want Ovid to search in. For example, the search expression ((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).ti,ab. (see this Focused Search, line #1) tells Ovid to search for the terms 'fitspiration' or 'fitspo', and combine these with variations of the term 'negative' and 'body image', in the Title (TI) field as well as the Abstract (AB) fields. This kind of search is referred to as a qualified search in the sense that the instruction to the database is explicit, namely “go and look for these specific terms in these specific fields, that I, the user have selected.”
But as noted in a previous Focused Search, databases vary not only in size but also in terms of their “shape”. You may, for instance, be uncertain about the field composition or layout of the database. In such cases Ovid can help out with the multi-purpose or .mp search. This is described as an unqualified search across a default set of fields which are specific to the database being used.
In this case, the example as given above would be entered as ((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).mp. Here Ovid searches for the search terms, truncated or otherwise, in a set of fields specific to the database being used. For APA PsycInfo on Ovid the default set of fields across which Ovid will search are:
title, abstract, heading word, table of contents, key concepts, original title, tests & measures, mesh word
Because the default fields to be covered by an .mp search are automatically pre-determined, .mp based searches lend themselves well to cross database searching. In this sense the .mp search option is a helpful supplement to Ovid’s Basic Search (lines #2 and #3) which is also able to carry search expressions easily across multiple databases.
Practice Suggestions:
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2025-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).ti,ab. [1.Advanced Search: Specific terms]Does fitspiration or fitspo negatively impact body image?
limit 1 to five stars [2.Basic Search: Full sentence plus relevancy limit]
((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).mp. [3..mp Search: Ovid defined set of fields]
2 or 3
(wom#n$ or female$).mp. [mp=title, abstract, heading word, table of contents, key concepts, original title, tests & measures, mesh word]
(man or men or male$).mp. [mp=title, abstract, heading word, table of contents, key concepts, original title, tests & measures, mesh word]
5 or 6
4 and 5 [Population Group: Mostly female]
4 and 6 [Population Group: Mostly male]
4 and 7 [Population Group: Female and male]
4 not 10 [Population Group: Not specified] Database: APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
How to construct searches using either a user defined group of fields or the database specific ‘multi-purpose’ (.mp) set of fields as provided by Ovid.
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
In this Focused Search the task is to retrieve literature from APA PsycInfo on Ovid that discusses 'fitspiration', and whether or not it has a negative impact on body image. 'Fitspiration', also referred to as 'fitspo', is the term given to information, most usually from internet related sources, i.e. social media posts and websites, that is designed to promote fitness and better health.
When using the Advanced Search mode in a bibliographic database like APA PsycInfo on Ovid, it is common practice to enter a search term or terms followed by the field or fields you want Ovid to search in. For example, the search expression ((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).ti,ab. (see this Focused Search, line #1) tells Ovid to search for the terms 'fitspiration' or 'fitspo', and combine these with variations of the term 'negative' and 'body image', in the Title (TI) field as well as the Abstract (AB) fields. This kind of search is referred to as a qualified search in the sense that the instruction to the database is explicit, namely “go and look for these specific terms in these specific fields, that I, the user have selected.”
But as noted in a previous Focused Search, databases vary not only in size but also in terms of their “shape”. You may, for instance, be uncertain about the field composition or layout of the database. In such cases Ovid can help out with the multi-purpose or .mp search. This is described as an unqualified search across a default set of fields which are specific to the database being used.
In this case, the example as given above would be entered as ((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).mp. Here Ovid searches for the search terms, truncated or otherwise, in a set of fields specific to the database being used. For APA PsycInfo on Ovid the default set of fields across which Ovid will search are:
title, abstract, heading word, table of contents, key concepts, original title, tests & measures, mesh word
Because the default fields to be covered by an .mp search are automatically pre-determined, .mp based searches lend themselves well to cross database searching. In this sense the .mp search option is a helpful supplement to Ovid’s Basic Search (lines #2 and #3) which is also able to carry search expressions easily across multiple databases.
Practice Suggestions:
((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).ti,ab. [1.Advanced Search: Specific terms]Does fitspiration or fitspo negatively impact body image?
limit 1 to five stars [2.Basic Search: Full sentence plus relevancy limit]
((fitspiration or fitspo) and negativ$ and body imag$).mp. [3..mp Search: Ovid defined set of fields]
2 or 3
(wom#n$ or female$).mp. [mp=title, abstract, heading word, table of contents, key concepts, original title, tests & measures, mesh word]
(man or men or male$).mp. [mp=title, abstract, heading word, table of contents, key concepts, original title, tests & measures, mesh word]
5 or 6
4 and 5 [Population Group: Mostly female]
4 and 6 [Population Group: Mostly male]
4 and 7 [Population Group: Female and male]
4 not 10 [Population Group: Not specified] Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2025-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
OvidGo! - Wolters Kluwer - Health Learning, Research and Practice
OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Single versus Group Fields (.mp Searching) [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2025 [updated 2 March 2024; cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=115
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
How to fine tune individual search lines as well as whole search queries using user-selected criteria, called ‘limits’.
APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
Ovid Training Team
2025-03-17
Training
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
When constructing a search question it is helpful to separate out the search terms and phrases from additional criteria that can be used to systematically reduce your database results down to a manageable number of references. Such additional criteria could be the type of publication; a journal article, a review, a case report or even a letter or editorial. Other additional criteria could include narrowing down the result set by language or by time. In the context of searching for information on databases, imposing such additional criteria upon a search is referred to as applying ‘limits’. Whilst the idea of employing limits is common to A&I databases, the variety and scope of the ‘limits’ options available to searchers can differ between databases.
This Focused Search introduces an initial selection of limits available for APA PsycInfo on Ovid.
The limits can be selected and applied sequentially (see lines #11, #12 and #13) or imposed in a single step. The full range of limits available for the database you are searching in, can be viewed and selected by clicking on the Additional Limits option at the bottom of the initial selection display. You can also place the limits, most useful to you, on the initial selection display by selecting the Edit Limits option. Your selection will remain as your initial display selection for the duration of your database session. After which they will return to and re-display the default selection.
For database administrators, please note however, that the default selection can be customized for you by Ovid Technical Support so that the default selection of limits better addresses your users’ needs.
Practice Suggestions
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
adolescent health/ or youth mental health/
(adolescent$ health or youth$ mental health or teenager$ health).mp.
1 or 2
exp major depression/
(depression or depress$ or depressive disorder$).mp.
4 or 5
exp cognitive behavior therapy/
cognitive behavio?r therap$.mp.
7 or 8
3 and 6 and 9
limit 10 to "remove medline records"
limit 11 to open access
limit 12 to test doi Database: APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
How to fine tune individual search lines as well as whole search queries using user-selected criteria, called ‘limits’.
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
When constructing a search question it is helpful to separate out the search terms and phrases from additional criteria that can be used to systematically reduce your database results down to a manageable number of references. Such additional criteria could be the type of publication; a journal article, a review, a case report or even a letter or editorial. Other additional criteria could include narrowing down the result set by language or by time. In the context of searching for information on databases, imposing such additional criteria upon a search is referred to as applying ‘limits’. Whilst the idea of employing limits is common to A&I databases, the variety and scope of the ‘limits’ options available to searchers can differ between databases.
This Focused Search introduces an initial selection of limits available for APA PsycInfo on Ovid.
The limits can be selected and applied sequentially (see lines #11, #12 and #13) or imposed in a single step. The full range of limits available for the database you are searching in, can be viewed and selected by clicking on the Additional Limits option at the bottom of the initial selection display. You can also place the limits, most useful to you, on the initial selection display by selecting the Edit Limits option. Your selection will remain as your initial display selection for the duration of your database session. After which they will return to and re-display the default selection.
For database administrators, please note however, that the default selection can be customized for you by Ovid Technical Support so that the default selection of limits better addresses your users’ needs.
Practice Suggestions
adolescent health/ or youth mental health/
(adolescent$ health or youth$ mental health or teenager$ health).mp.
1 or 2
exp major depression/
(depression or depress$ or depressive disorder$).mp.
4 or 5
exp cognitive behavior therapy/
cognitive behavio?r therap$.mp.
7 or 8
3 and 6 and 9
limit 10 to "remove medline records"
limit 11 to open access
limit 12 to test doi Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
OvidGo! - Wolters Kluwer - Health Learning, Research and Practice
OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Refining Searches Systematically (Limits) [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2025 [updated 2 March 2024; cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=116
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
How to limit searches to spans of time from complete years or parts of years to user-defined time frames covering years, weeks or days.
APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
Ovid Training Team
2025-03-17
Training
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This Focused Search looks at ways in which searches can be limited to general or specific spans of time.
Limiting by a Range of Complete Years
The easiest way to limit a search to a range of complete years is to use the Year of Publication (YR) field. This field is marked and populated by the indexers as soon as the processing of the original document begins. The database’s Limits function provides the option for the user to enter the wished for date range. Alternatively, set ranges, i.e. 3 Years, 5 years etc. can also be selected. All the records in APA PsycInfo on Ovid, bar two references, have a year of publication. See lines #1 and #2 of the accpmpanying Focused Search. But note this is distinct from the dates connected to the document’s record being processed for inclusion in the database.
Limiting by Parts of Years
For searches across parts of years, down to months and even days, Ovid recommends using the Update Code (UP) field. This field marks the date when the document’s record was added to APA PsycInfo. As the date reflects the date on which the citation was added to the database, this is not the date of either the original document’s publication or even its electronic publication in the database. Also as a phrased-indexed field (compare lines #6 and #7 in the accompanying Focused Search), the Update Code (UP) field lends itself well to truncation. So for example in the expression limit 1 to up=202501*-202502* will yield results from all of January 2025 to all of February 2025.
Practice Suggestions
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
Ovid Support: How can I limit search results by a date range in Ovid?
https://wkhlrp.my.site.com/ovidsupport/s/article/Limit-by-date-range-in-Ovid
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
docz.dz.
(15* or 16* or 17* or 18* or 19* or 20*).yr.
"2024".yr.
("2020" or "2021" or "2022" or "2023" or "2024" or "2025").yr.
limit 1 to yr=2020-2025
"2024".up.
2024*.up.
limit 1 to up=20250101-20250331 [Date Range: 1st January 2025 to 31st March 2025]
limit 1 to up=20240101-20240331 [Date Range: 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024]
limit 1 to up=20240601-20240610 [Date Range: 1st June 2024 to 10th June 2024] Database: APA PsycInfo <1806 to Present>
How to limit searches to spans of time from complete years or parts of years to user-defined time frames covering years, weeks or days.
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This Focused Search looks at ways in which searches can be limited to general or specific spans of time.
Limiting by a Range of Complete Years
The easiest way to limit a search to a range of complete years is to use the Year of Publication (YR) field. This field is marked and populated by the indexers as soon as the processing of the original document begins. The database’s Limits function provides the option for the user to enter the wished for date range. Alternatively, set ranges, i.e. 3 Years, 5 years etc. can also be selected. All the records in APA PsycInfo on Ovid, bar two references, have a year of publication. See lines #1 and #2 of the accpmpanying Focused Search. But note this is distinct from the dates connected to the document’s record being processed for inclusion in the database.
Limiting by Parts of Years
For searches across parts of years, down to months and even days, Ovid recommends using the Update Code (UP) field. This field marks the date when the document’s record was added to APA PsycInfo. As the date reflects the date on which the citation was added to the database, this is not the date of either the original document’s publication or even its electronic publication in the database. Also as a phrased-indexed field (compare lines #6 and #7 in the accompanying Focused Search), the Update Code (UP) field lends itself well to truncation. So for example in the expression limit 1 to up=202501*-202502* will yield results from all of January 2025 to all of February 2025.
Practice Suggestions
docz.dz.
(15* or 16* or 17* or 18* or 19* or 20*).yr.
"2024".yr.
("2020" or "2021" or "2022" or "2023" or "2024" or "2025").yr.
limit 1 to yr=2020-2025
"2024".up.
2024*.up.
limit 1 to up=20250101-20250331 [Date Range: 1st January 2025 to 31st March 2025]
limit 1 to up=20240101-20240331 [Date Range: 1st January 2024 to 31st March 2024]
limit 1 to up=20240601-20240610 [Date Range: 1st June 2024 to 10th June 2024] Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
Ovid Support: How can I limit search results by a date range in Ovid?
https://wkhlrp.my.site.com/ovidsupport/s/article/Limit-by-date-range-in-Ovid
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
OvidGo! - Wolters Kluwer - Health Learning, Research and Practice
OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Limiting Searches To Time Spans (Date Range Searching) [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2025 [updated 2 March 2024; cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=117
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
How to launch a search strategy, that utilising database specific thesauri and limits, nevertheslss functions across multiple databases, and does so in one database session. (Romper Search).
APA PsycInfo & Ovid MEDLINE
Ovid Training Team
2025-03-17
Training
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This focused search launches a search strategy that operates across two databases, namely APA PsycInfo on Ovid and Ovid MEDLINE - at the same time. The search is investigating the role of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the treatment of adolescents suffering from depression. The difficulty is that three marked concepts, namely adolescents, depression and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are treated differently by the controlled vocabularies of the target databases, APA PsycInfo on Ovid and Ovid MEDLINE.
The ‘Romper Search’, enabled on the Ovid platform by deploying the USE command to change databases, provides a means of searching two or more databases in a single session while still making use of the thesaurus and limits selection, specific to each of the databases. The instructions below plus the accompanying supplemental documentation describe in detail how to build such a search. Once practiced and familiar with the construction of this type of search, you could save it in Ovid My Workspace as a model example, for re-use and further development.
Points to note:
Instructions:
adolescent health/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: adolescents]
youth mental health/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
1 or 2
exp major depression/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: depression]
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: cbt]
3 and 4 and 5
6 use psyh
Adolescent/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: adolescents]
Depression/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: depression]
exp Depressive Disorder/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
9 or 10
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: cbt]
8 and 11 and 12
13 use medall
7 or 14
remove duplicates from 15 Questions:
Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
Romper Search Presentation 1Q2025
https://tools.ovid.com/filemanager/uploads/Romper_Search_Presentation_1Q2025.pdf
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
adolescent health/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: adolescents]
youth mental health/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
1 or 2
exp major depression/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: depression]
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: cbt]
3 and 4 and 5
6 use psyh
Adolescent/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: adolescents]
Depression/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: depression]
exp Depressive Disorder/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
9 or 10
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: cbt]
8 and 11 and 12
13 use medall
7 or 14
remove duplicates from 15 Database: APA PsycInfo & Ovid MEDLINE
How to launch a search strategy, that utilising database specific thesauri and limits, nevertheslss functions across multiple databases, and does so in one database session. (Romper Search).
APA PsycInfo describes itself as "(T)he premier abstracting and indexiing database covering the behavioral and social sciences from the authority in psychology". (1) A resource produced and made available by the American Psychological Association (APA), APA PsycInfo, along with Ovid MEDLINE and Embase on Ovid, constitute, in their respective fields, the largest and most comprehensive Abstracting and Indexing (A&I) databases for peer-reviewed scientific information.
APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Facts and Figures (1)
Training Session Programme
This Learning Pathway series of training modules draws upon the content and teaching approaches in and behind the learning resource OvidGO! (2). Constructed around a selection of focused searches, the training programme has been designed to achieve the following two objectives,
(1). See https://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycinfo/index
(2). See https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/
This focused search launches a search strategy that operates across two databases, namely APA PsycInfo on Ovid and Ovid MEDLINE - at the same time. The search is investigating the role of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in the treatment of adolescents suffering from depression. The difficulty is that three marked concepts, namely adolescents, depression and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are treated differently by the controlled vocabularies of the target databases, APA PsycInfo on Ovid and Ovid MEDLINE.
The ‘Romper Search’, enabled on the Ovid platform by deploying the USE command to change databases, provides a means of searching two or more databases in a single session while still making use of the thesaurus and limits selection, specific to each of the databases. The instructions below plus the accompanying supplemental documentation describe in detail how to build such a search. Once practiced and familiar with the construction of this type of search, you could save it in Ovid My Workspace as a model example, for re-use and further development.
Points to note:
Instructions:
adolescent health/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: adolescents]
youth mental health/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
1 or 2
exp major depression/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: depression]
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: cbt]
3 and 4 and 5
6 use psyh
Adolescent/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: adolescents]
Depression/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: depression]
exp Depressive Disorder/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
9 or 10
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: cbt]
8 and 11 and 12
13 use medall
7 or 14
remove duplicates from 15 Questions:
adolescent health/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: adolescents]
youth mental health/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
1 or 2
exp major depression/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: depression]
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [APA PsycInfo Entry Term: cbt]
3 and 4 and 5
6 use psyh
Adolescent/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: adolescents]
Depression/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: depression]
exp Depressive Disorder/ [Additional term from thesaurus]
9 or 10
exp cognitive behavior therapy/ [Ovid MEDLINE Entry Term: cbt]
8 and 11 and 12
13 use medall
7 or 14
remove duplicates from 15 Primary: Michael Fanning
Secondary: Charlotte Viken
Review Date: 2025-03-17
Expiry Date: 2026-03-17
Ovid Training Team
Romper Search Presentation 1Q2025
https://tools.ovid.com/filemanager/uploads/Romper_Search_Presentation_1Q2025.pdf
OvidGO! / Skills Videos / General Introduction
What is a bibliographic database?
What is the structure of a database?
What is Ovid MEDLINE?
What are Boolean Operators?
What are wildcards?
Subject heading searching
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
OvidGo! - Wolters Kluwer - Health Learning, Research and Practice
OvidGO! Portal. Focused Searches: APA PsycInfo on Ovid – Multiple Databases, Single Session [Internet]. London (UK): Ovid Training Team (Editors); 2025 [updated 2 March 2024; cited 10 March 2025]. Available from: https://tools.ovid.com/ovidgo/searches/view.php?id=118
Version: 2025-03-17
Visited:
Ovid Customer Support, Database Size and Shape – Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Expert Searches Portal, Version: 8th May 2023, Visited: 11th May 2023.
An Ovid Coaching session has its agenda driven by you, the participating librarian. Topics covered are ones that you choose.
They may be related to Ovid functionality, search modes, search techniques, Ovid Tools & Resources, learning materials etc..
To register for an Ovid Coaching session please fill in the contact form below. In the Your Comments box let us know what you would like to discuss and when.
An Ovid Trainer will get back to you to confirm details.
Focused Searches on OvidGO! consist of a comprehensive selection of database searches that are easily discoverable, accessible and actionable, that you can run directly on the Ovid platform with a single click. The curated and regularly reviewed portfolio of searches has been selected by the Ovid Training Team from various named and accredited sources. They include search filters, search strategies, search blocks and vary in size and format.
You can use all the searches within Focused Searches as standalone resources or in combination with the other knowledge and educational assets in the training and coaching activity areas which together make up the OvidGO! portal. Portrayed using a standardised ABC approach (see next section) developed by the Ovid Training Team, any Focused Search can also be quickly displayed on screen passively for consultation, comparative reference as well as teaching purposes. Each search has a background section which provides more detail about the search, its origin plus any noteworthy features and characteristics.
Full accreditation is given to the creator of the search as well as a live and actionable reference to the original source. Each search carries an OvidGO! citation and can be embedded in non-Ovid documentation by means of a dedicated and permanent link.
Developed by the Ovid Training Team, the ABC approach, which stands for Action, Background and Citation, represents the standard format for every search on Focused Searches. Regardless of its type, size or origin, the ABC formula provides for each search; a memorable point of access for both an overview of the search, accompanying information as well as a set of options for its use and re-use.
For example, if you want to view the search on your screen, simply select Actions/Display. If on the other hand you want to launch the search so that it runs and displays in Ovid, select Actions/Display. Once in Ovid, you could use the executed search in the development of your search strategy, save it in My Workspace or share it with colleagues.
Further options under the Actions tab include:
Selecting the Background tab will provide you with information on the search. These details include:
Selecting the Citation tab will display an OvidGO! citation for the search on Ovid and accompanying materials as displayed in Focused Searches. The current citation format is Vancouver.
The searches on Ovid, presented using our ABC format, can be used in a number of ways. These depend, of course, on what your objective is. They could include searching for literature systematically or getting to know an unfamiliar database or even for teaching database use to others.
For example, if you are building a search strategy which requires locating randomised controlled trials, you might want to select Actions/Launch for the Cochrane RCT Search Filter I and directly include it in your search strategy. Equally you might want to save it as a search block in My Workspace for later review, use or even sharing.
Alternatively, were you to be unfamiliar with, say APA PsycInfo, you could select Actions/Display for the Covid and Mental Health - APA PsycInfo search to see how comfortable you are with that database’s use of terms and phrases for the subject matter.
In terms of teaching scenarios, you could refer to the Search History Analysis Example search, where the Background tab provides information on how to use a search history and its systematic deconstruction to help users better understand how and why such searches are built in the way that they are.
If you need our assistance on any of the Focused Searches use cases mentioned above, simply select Actions/Ovid Coaching for the search that interests you.
Every search on Focused Searches is inspected by at least two members of the Ovid Training Team. Inspection involves two activities. First, ensuring that the search as captured and displayed in OvidGO! Focused Searches is a true and accurate version of the original (which often has had to be extracted and/or rebuilt from its original source, commonly a paper- and/or PDF-based publication). Second, that the search runs on Ovid in the selected database and using the syntax as employed by the original creator of the search.
The Ovid Training Team reviewers do not alter or make changes to the content of the original work. Where ambiguities or questions may arise, these are discussed with the original creator of the search for clarification and author-approved remedial action if necessary. Details of any such request for clarification may also be reported on in the Background information where relevant and appropriate.
In the case of search filter type searches included in Focused Searches, if the original author of the search has validated the search, this information is included in the Background information. The Ovid Training Team does not undertake any search validation independently of the creator of the original search. Again, it's worth iterating here that the objective of OvidGO!’s Focused Searches is to bring useful, instructive and highly regarded searches, already published or issued, closer to a user-level surface for greater exposure and positive consumption.
Currently, the searches on Focused Searches will be reviewed annually for relevancy and usage.
As part of The Focused Searches Project we are also reviewing all the searches in the Expert Searches section of the Ovid Tools & Resources Portal. The subsequent inclusion or exclusion of these expert searches into OvidGO!’s Focused Searches will depend upon the former’s current relevance, topicality and perceived usefulness. The Expert Searches on the Ovid Tools & Resources Portal marked for inclusion will be progressively migrated to Focused Searches on OvidGO! and re-structured and re-issued in accordance with the ABC approach as discussed above. Upon the conclusion of this part of the project, the Expert Searches on the Ovid Tools & Resources Portal will be removed from this site by the end of 2024.
If you have a favourite search currently in the Expert Searches on the Ovid Tools & Resources Portal and would like to have it included in Focused Searches on OvidGO!’s, please let us know.
Yes! We would very much like to hear from you. Ideally, recommended searches should be of benefit to a large number of Ovid users. They can nevertheless vary in terms of what they have been designed to achieve. They could be searches that add a more elegant set of lines to a systematic literature search. Or a set of controlled terms that work well across databases with (very) different controlled vocabularies. Or searches that best demonstrate an approach to database usage.
If you have a search that you would like to recommend, please let us know.
The Focused Searches on OvidGO! editors, Michael Fanning and Charlotte Viken, are contactable via their respective e-mail addresses or alternatively via [email protected] .