Search basics
Limit by Field
Use pull down menu to limit searches to specific fields (title, abstract, keywords, and content). Default is set to "All Text" to start with most articles found. If search retrieves too many articles, try field limiting your search.
Entering Search Terms
- Enter search term(s) in box. By default on Search Tab, common variants of the word are searched.
- If two or more terms are entered, search will "AND" terms and find articles or selected fields where both terms appear.
- To search a phrase, put terms in quotes, "lung cancer" searches for that specific phrase.
Term Search: Using term variants (automatic stemming)
When a term is entered, the search automatically finds its word variants (listed below) eliminating the need to enter common variants.
- Linguistic variants: clear finds clear, clears, cleared, clearing, clearer, clearest
- Non-standard plural variants: mouse also finds mice
- Common irregular verbs: run also finds ran, runs, running
Term Search: Without using term variants
Automatic stemming can be shut off by putting the term in quotes. This feature is also disabled if search terms include wildcards (*)
Searching Multiple terms
When entering two or more terms without quotes, search will "AND" all terms. Finds articles where all terms must appear in the article (or selected fields).
Example: diabetic foot ulcer (finds articles containing diabetic and foot and ulcder anywhere in the article)
Phrase Searching
To search for a phrase, put terms in quotes. Phrase search does NOT support the use of wildcards.
Example: "venous ulcer" (finds the phrase venous ulcer in the article or selected fields)
Example: "Food and Drug Administration" (finds phrases that contain a Boolean operator (AND, OR, NOT))
Viewing Results
To view results, hit the "Enter" key or click the "Go" button. Results will be displayed at the bottom of the page. In the left hand column of the results, there is hyperlinked key to document types. User other tabs to view additional results from leading online wound care and hyperbaric publications.
Search commands and syntax
Boolean Operators: Using AND, OR, NOT
Boolean operators can be selected from the pull down menus or directly keyed Supports use of AND, OR, NOT to combine search terms.
AND
Both terms MUST appear in the article or selected field(s).
Example: insulin AND diabetes
OR
At least one of the terms MUST appear in the article or selected field(s).
Example: heart OR cardiac
NOT
The first word must appear but the second word cannot appear in the article or selected field(s).
Example: aids not hearing
Proximity Operators: Using NEAR and NEXT
Supports use of NEAR. Finds terms within close proximity to each other in the article or field(s) being searched
NEAR
Finds the terms when they are within 6 words of each other. Terms can appear in either order.
Example: radiation near ulcer (finds radiation ulcer as well as radiation induced ulcer)
Order of Precedence
If a search contains more than one Boolean operator and it does not use nesting, the system will perform the operations in the following order:
- All NOT operations first
- All AND operations second
- All OR operations last
For better precision, use nesting to specify order of operations.
Nesting (or grouping terms)
Use parentheses () to explicitly group searches using Boolean or proximity operators and to change the default precedence order.
Example: (venous OR radiation) AND ulcer
Using Wildcards (truncation)
Use to find terms containing a common word root. Use * to search for one or more characters, and ? for zero or one characters. A wildcard can be added to the right (end of term), left (beginning of term) and internal (within) a term, however the word root must be at least 3 characters.
Examples:
transplant* Use an asterisk (*) to match all terms beginning with a word root.
Finds transplant, transplants, transplanting, transplantation, and transplantable.
*glycemia Use an asterisk (*) at the beginning of a word to match terms with the same suffix.
Finds hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia.
Searching Field
Limit to specific fields using the pull down menu.
Title
Use this label to limit search to terms in the article title
Abstract
Use this label to limit to the Abstract field
Keywords
Use this label to limit to Keywords.
Content
Use this label to limit to Content.
