MEDLINE TUTORIAL

Search Question : Locate articles about oral cancers in teenage boys who use chewing tobacco.

1. In the box labeled Enter Keyword or Phrase: type the term: oral cancer. (Note: for best results, do not include chewing tobacco. This term will be searched later.)

   Be sure that the check mark is in the box by Map Term to Subject Heading.

2. After typing oral cancer click on Perform Search.

   The OVID search system now displays the Mapping Display screen, showing the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) that best match the keyword you entered.

3. The closest match to our request is the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) Mouth Neoplasms . If you are unsure that this term is the same thing, click on to read the Scope Note. Scope Notes define the MeSH term, indicate the year it entered the MEDLINE database, and list synonyms for it.

   After reading the Scope Note for Mouth Neoplasms - you now know that it is the MeSH term used for Oral Cancer (Oral Cancer=Mouth Neoplasms). Return to the Mapping Display page by clicking on the Previous Page button. Click on the hypertext link underlined in blue - Mouth Neoplasms.

    

4. This places you in a Tree Display which shows your term in relation to other, similar terms. The Tree Display shows the selected term in the context of its conceptually broader and narrower terms.

   Scroll half-way down the screen until you see your term, Mouth Neoplasms. It should be highlighted in a yellow band with a check mark beside it.

   • Notice the more specific types of neoplasms that occur in the mouth listed underneath the general term, such as Gingival Neoplasms. Some of the more specific terms under Mouth Neoplasms have a red plus mark beside them (+) indicating that they can be opened to show the specific terms under them. The red negative sign (-) indicates that the term is already open.

   • For comprehensive retrieval of all articles about mouth or oral cancer, you must search on all these highly related terms.

   • To do this, use the Explode function. Explode will automatically search your term and all narrower, related terms indented under it.

   • Example: Exploding Mouth Neoplasms will retrieve articles about mouth neoplasms in general, as well as about gingival, lip, palatal, tongue, and salivary gland neoplasms and oral leukoplakia.

5. To Explode the Mouth Neoplasms MeSH term, click on the Explode box to the right of the term (the left-hand box of the two boxes).

   Scroll back up to the top of the page and click the Continue button.

6. Now you are presented with subheadings. Subheadings are terms that are attached to MeSH terms to further define your search (e.g. the diagnosis of Mouth Neoplasms). You can select as many individual subheadings as you like from this list. Clicking Continue will default to Including All Subheadings.

   We want to leave all subheadings attached to our selected MeSH terms from the previous page, so click Continue.

   You are now returned to the Main Search Page, where your first search statement is Exp Mouth Neoplasms/.

7. Search the second concept Chewing Tobacco.

   In the box labeled Enter Keyword or Phrase: type the term: chewing tobacco

8. After typing chewing tobacco click on Perform Search

   The Mapping Display screen is displayed again, this time showing the one MeSH terms that best matches the keyword you entered - Tobacco, Smokeless.

   Check the Scope Note for further clarification on this MeSH term as needed.

   Return to the previous or Mapping page.

9. Click on the underlined term Tobacco, Smokeless.

   Scroll half-way down the Tree Display until you see your term, Tobacco, Smokeless. It should be highlighted in yellow.

   Notice that this term does not have more specific terms under it. Therefore you do not need to use the Explode command.

   Scroll back up to the top of the page and click the Continue button.

10. Now you are presented with subheadings. Subheadings are terms that are attached to MeSH terms to further define your search. Click Continue or Apply All Subheadings (the same thing) to leave all the subheadings attached to our MeSH term.

11. You are now returned to the Main Search Page, where your two search sets on Tobacco, Smokeless/ and Exp Mouth Neoplasms/ are listed.

    Note that these two searches are not related to each other. To find articles that cover both topics, we must Combine the sets.

12. In the Enter Keyword or Phrase box, type 1 and 2. This combines the #1 set (mouth neoplasms) and the #2 set (tobacco, smokeless). Click Perform Search.

13. The Limit feature is helpful to further narrow your search to a certain population or publication type.

    Click on the Limit button at the top of the screen that looks like a target and bullseye.

    Scroll down to display a number of categories for limiting your search. Choose:

    • English language and Male from the top section;
    • Age Groups -
      Adolescence <13 to 18 years>
    Click on the Limit Search button to apply these limits to your search.

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    Displaying Your Results

    Scroll down to display the references from your final search set.

    Notice that below each citation, in blue, there are several links:

    • Abstract links to the article's abstract
    • Complete Reference links to the complete MEDLINE reference, including the MeSH terms.

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    Search Output

    • At the bottom of each page of citations is the Citation Manager. This is where the selected citations can be printed, saved, or emailed.

    • Go to bottom of the search results page to view the Citation Manager

    • The Citation Manager determines how the citations are to be displayed, saved, or printed. There are five columns of options:

      • Citations - allows you to select all or part of your search set for output.
        

      • Fields - allows you to choose which elements of the citation (author, title, source, etc.) will be displayed.
        

      • Citation Format - should remain on the default OVID.

      • Checking the Include Search History box will include your search strategy as part of your output.

      • Action Buttons include - Display, Print Preview, Email, and Save

      • Sort Format - determines whether your citations will appear in descending or ascending order
        

    • Select an article by putting a checkmark in the box to the left side of the citation..

    • In the Citation Manager, in the Citation column, make sure Selected Citations is checked.

    • In the Fields column, check Citation (Title, Author, Source).

    • Leave Citation Format and Sort Keys as they are.

    • Then click on Print Preview in the Action column.

    • The OVID search system will now display the Citations.

    • Use your Web Browser's Print button to print the citations.

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    Main Search Page
    If you wish to do another search, change databases or logoff, Return to the Main Search Page by clicking on one of the navigation buttons at the top or bottom of the page.

    The Change Database icon at the top of the Search Page allows selection of other available databases and options to carry the search history forward.
    

    The Logoff icon is used when a search session has ended. There are a finite number of concurrent search sessions for the University of Virginia. Please logoff at the end of search. This will release the connection, allowing others to access OVID.

    The Search History can be saved & sent with citation results via email or saved to a file.

    Click the Logoff icon to exit the OVID database system.