BUMC MEDLINE PLUS/OVID TUTORIAL

Alumni Medical Library
Boston University Medical Center
TUTORIAL MENU
 
Tutorial Home
Instructions for Using the Tutorial
Developing Your Search Strategy
Formulating Your Question
Choosing An Appropriate Database
Selecting the Best Search Terms
Advantages and Disadvantages of Text Word and Title Word Searching
Selecting the Best Medical Subject Headings
Quiz Section I: Text Word vs. MeSH Searching
Mapping Function
Subheadings
Tree Display
Explode Function
Focus Function
Combining Sets
Quiz Section II: Combining Sets
Limiting
Quiz Section III: Reviewing the Explode, Focus, Subheadings, and Limit Options
Viewing or Displaying Search Results
Full Text Options
Printing, E-Mailing, and Saving Search Results
Ordering Articles
Searching Tips, Hints, & Reminders
Tutorial Evaluation
ADDITIONAL TOPICS
OVID's Main Menu Icons
Author Searching
Title Word Searching
Journal Searching
OTHER RESOURCES
Searching for Evidence in the Primary Medical Literature Tutorial: EBM Tutorial
More Information about BUMC MEDLINE Plus/OVID
Direct-entry Commands: enable users to bypass menu options
OVID Documentation

O V I D Mapping DisplayHelp
Combine selections with:

This is the Mapping Display. MeSH terms that match the phrase heart diseases will be shown in order of relevancy. The most useful subject heading will be at the top of the list.

In this case there is only one MeSH term matching heart diseases.

Your term mapped to the following Subject Headings:
Term is a thesaurus term

Select   Subject Heading   Explode Focus Scope
Heart Diseases
heart diseases.mp. search as Keyword

Remember: You do NOT want to search for heart diseases.mp. just yet.

This performs a text word/key word (title and abstract word) search INSTEAD of a subject heading search.

This would be a bad choice, because you would only retrieve articles that use the exact phrase "heart diseases." This search would miss relevant citations. Use the first option, the "heart diseases" subject heading instead.

Let's learn more about the EXPLODE and FOCUS options.

Click on the term heart diseases to see the Tree Display. It will show us what will happen if we EXPLODE.

   
 
  Copyright © 2003. All rights reserved. Created by Kathy Schilling, Ed.D. Alumni Medical Library, Boston University Medical Center. Permission has been granted by Ovid Technologies, Inc. to use Web pages, screen shots, and icons from the Ovid Web Gateway. Graphical design originally created by Stefanie Curry, Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine.