PsycINFO Expert Tip: Searching by Keyword, Index Term and More

Searching by Keyword, Index Term and More

January 2017

Examples on APA PsycNET®, EBSCOhost, Ovid, and ProQuest

Searching by Keyword, Index Term and More

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Databases & Electronic Resources Blog

Searching by Keyword, Index Term and More

• Keywords = brief phrases assigned by author, publisher or APA staff o For researchers new to a topic, using natural language searching

• Index Terms = terms chosen from the PsycINFO Thesaurus by APA staff o For focused researchers who want to quickly find all items about a concept

• Classification = descriptive terms representing subfields of psychology and

related disciplines selected by APA staffo Can be used along with a keyword or index term to distinguish between synonyms

or research perspectives

• MeSH = Medical Subject Headings from a list used in the PubMed database;

about 30% of PsycINFO records also appear in PubMedo For researchers in a medical area or who are already familiar with MeSH

Four Types of Vocabulary

APA PsycNET® Search

Select from the dropdown menu to

search by Keywords, Index Terms,

or MeSH.

For best results, you will need to

look up exact Index Terms and

MeSH to use.

The Term Finder thesaurus tool at

the top of the page can help you find

Index Terms for your search.

Tools to find MeSH terms can be

found on the NLM site.

Advanced Search Options

APA PsycNET®

Select a value for

PsycINFO Classification in

the Only Show Content

Where section.

Advanced Search Limits

APA PsycNET®

Results Page Limits

APA PsycNET®

Select limits from the search results page, such as Index Term or PsycINFO®

Classification.

Within the record, these four

types of vocabulary are

located next to each other.

You may notice some

overlapping terms.

Major, or more important,

Index Terms for the record

are noted with a *.

Index Terms and PsycINFO

Classification are

hyperlinked to run a search

within PsycINFO for each

term.

Vocabulary in the PsycINFO Record

APA PsycNET®

Please note that MeSH terms are not

present in every PsycINFO record.

MeSH terms in the

PsycINFO record are

hyperlinked to run a search

for the term on PubMed, in

a new pop-up window.

Please note that MeSH

terms are not present in

every PsycINFO record.

MeSH Linking from the PsycINFO Record

APA PsycNET®

EBSCOhost Search

Select from the dropdown menu to search by DE

Subjects [exact], MA MeSH Subject Heading, or

KW Keywords.

(SU Subjects searches Keywords and Subjects

[exact] together.)

For best results, you will need to look up exact

Subjects and MeSH to use.

The Thesaurus tool at the top of the page can

help you find Subjects [exact] for your search.

Tools to find MeSH terms can be found on the

NLM site.

Advanced Search Options

EBSCOhost

Select a value for Classification

Codes in the Limit your results

section.

Advanced Search Limits

EBSCOhost

Results Page Limits

EBSCOhost

Select limits from the search results

page, such as Subject: Major

Heading or Classification.

(The Subject limit includes Subject:

Major Heading as well as Keywords.)

Within the record, these four types

of vocabulary are located near each

other. You may notice some

overlapping terms.

Major, or more important, Subjects

for the record are noted with a *.

Subjects are hyperlinked to run a

search within PsycINFO for each

term.

Vocabulary in the PsycINFO Record

EBSCOhost

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

terms in the PsycINFO record are

hyperlinked to run a search for the

term on PubMed, in a new tab.

Please note that MeSH terms are

not present in every PsycINFO

record.

MeSH Linking from the PsycINFO Record

EBSCOhost

Ovid Search

On the Multi-Field Search page,

select from the dropdown menu

to search by Key Concepts,

MeSH, or Subject Headings.

Advanced Search Options

Ovid

For best results, you will need to

look up exact Subject Headings

and MeSH to use.

The Thesaurus, located under

Search Tools, can help you find

Subject Headings for your

search.

Tools to find MeSH terms can be

found on the NLM site.

Thesaurus Tool

Ovid

On the Multi-Field Search screen, click

the Edit Limits button to add limits to

the search page.

Advanced Search Limits

Ovid

Check off a limit, such as PsycINFO

Classification Code, and click

Customize Limits.

Back on the search page, you

can use this newly added limit as

part of your search.

Advanced Search Limits

Ovid

Results Page Limits

Ovid

Select limits from the search results

page, such as Subject.

Vocabulary in the PsycINFO Record

Ovid

Within the record, these different

types of vocabulary are located near

each other. You may notice some

overlapping terms.

Major, or more important, Subject

Headings for the record are noted

with a *.

Key Concepts, Subject Headings,

and PsycINFO Classification Code

are hyperlinked to run a search

within PsycINFO for each term.

MeSH terms will be displayed on Ovid’s pla

tform soon!

Please note that MeSH terms will not pr

esent in every PsycINFO record.

ProQuest Search

Select from the dropdown

menu to search by Identifier

(keyword), or Major

subject.

Select a value for

Classification in the More

search options section.

For best results, you will

need to look up exact Major

subjects using the

Thesaurus tool at the top of

the page.

Advanced Search Options

ProQuest

Select limits from the search

results page, such as Subject or

Classification.

(This Subject limit includes

thesaurus terms as well as

keywords.)

Results Page Limits

ProQuest

Within the record, these four different types of

vocabulary are located near each other. You

may notice some overlapping terms.

More important Subjects are noted with a

(major).

Subject and Classification are hyperlinked to

run a search within PsycINFO for each term.

Please note that MeSH terms are not present

in every PsycINFO record.

Vocabulary in the

PsycINFO Record

ProQuest

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