Keyword searching: tips and tricks
2004 version 2
24 May 2004
Postqualification
Postqualification can be used where you have already carried out a search looking for terms in specific fields of the database and wish to change the fields from which the terms are retrieved without retyping the original query. You can also postqualify combination and adjacency terms, for example:
# 1
You enter coronary heart disease.mp.
Ovid displays the search as coronary heart disease.mp.
# 2
You enter 1.ti.
Ovid displays the search as coronary heart disease.ti.
# 3
You enter 2 or chd.ti.
Ovid displays the search as (coronary heart disease or chd).ti.
# 4
You enter prevent$.ti.
Ovid displays the search as prevent$.ti.
# 5
You enter 3 adj3 4
Ovid displays the search as ((coronary heart disease or chd) adj3 prevent$).ti.
# 6
You enter 5.mp.
Ovid displays the search as ((coronary heart disease or chd) adj3 prevent$).mp.
# 7
You enter 6 and wine.mp.
Ovid displays the search as (((coronary heart disease or chd) adj3 prevent$) and wine).mp.
Any questions? Please contact the MEDLINE Plus help desk:
Tel: 020 7383 6224 or 6737
email: info.medline@bma.org.uk
web: http://www.bma.org.uk/medline