The Ovid database search system will fully implement its new search platform, called OvidSP, on February 4, 2008. When you log into an Ovid database from the Library Web site, you’ll find yourself using the interface called “Ovid Advanced Search.” This interface keeps useful features found in the previous Ovid Gateway interface – thesauri, subject headings, term mapping, limits, and more – but adds the following workflow integration tools:
- Improved search aids to quickly narrow or broaden a search
- Online abstracts and annotations of search results
- Alerting tools such as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and Electronic Tables of Contents (eTOCS)
OvidSP’s new “Basic Search” offers the following enhancements:
- Natural-language searching
- Results ranked by relevancy
- Simultaneous searching across books, journals, and databases
OvidSP offers the following search modes:
- “Advanced Ovid Search”: Employs the traditional Ovid syntax, which supports Boolean search terms and truncation
- “Basic Search”: Uses natural-language processing
- “Find Citation”: Identifies citations from incomplete data
- “Search Fields”: Supports natural-language searching and searching of specific fields
- “Search Tools”: Uses natural-language processing and tools such as term-mapping, scope notes and subheadings
Ovid publishes search aids to help in using OvidSP effectively:
If you have questions about OvidSP or Ovid Gateway, contact Laura Wilder by email or by phone at 214-648-3518.