UCLA Library
MELVYL® MEDLINE® PLUS
Quick Guide to System Commands
To Begin
    start med (or set db med or med)

To Obtain Online Help
    help at any prompt (MED -->)

To Get Explanations of System Features
    explain guide
    explain find
    explain subject

To Search Older Years
    explain mb

To Run the Same Search in Other Databases
    in med80 redo last
    in cc redo last

To See News
    sho news

To Truncate Word Roots (Increases retrieval)
    b su prostat#
    f kw smok#

To Return to Previous Search Statements
    show history

To Change Databases
    set db
    or just type the database name, e.g., MED --> med80
Searching Formats
    1. Author (au or pa)
      find au jaye, m
      f au smith-erichsen, n
      f au jaye, m and mudd, r
    2. Author Affiliation (aa)
      find au steckel and aa los angeles
    3. Title Word (tw)
      find tw motorcycle accident#
    4. Key Word (kw)-To search words from titles,
    abstracts, and subject headings.
      find kw spontaneous hypertension
      f kw rheumatoid arthritis
    5. Subject Search (su) -Searches any words in subject headings.
      find su chronic hepatitis
      f su fractures
    6. Exact Subject (xs)-When the exact, official subject heading is known.
      find xs stress, psychological
      f xs health planning
    7. Explode Exact Subject (exp xs or xxs)-To retrieve narrower terms under a general heading.
      find exp xs leukemia
      f xxs antibiotics
    8. Major Subject Searching (msu or mxs)
      f msu recovery room
      f mxs hepatitis
      f exp mxs meningitis
    9. Subheadings
      f xs heart arrest therapy
      f exp xs dyes toxidty
      f xs aspirin adverse effects
    10. Journals (jo)
      find jo journal of trauma
      f jo n engl j med (official abbreviation)
      f jo bioch# bioph# acta

Browsing
    browse au bradbury
    bro xs stress, psychological
    b su sports
    b jo american journal of medicine

Select From a Browse
    sel 1.2 1.5
    sel 1.7-1.10
    sel exp 2.1
Refining Your Search
    1. To Expand Results Use: OR
      f au heckler, mh or black, gw
    2. To Combine Concepts Use: AND
      f su athletic injuries and xs football
    3. To Eliminate Unwanted Concepts Use: AND NOT
      f exp xs accidents and not kw home

Set Searching
    save set . . . . . . . . .saves results of find command
    show sets. . . . . . . . .displays sets and set numbers
    recall set . . . . . . .replaces current search results
    with recalled set
    del set #. . . . . . . . . . . . deletes a specific set
    clear sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . deletes all sets
    find set # . . used to combine search statements, e.g.:
    MED--> find set 1 and set 2

Limiting Searches
    1. Language
      find su aspirin and lan eng
    2. Journal Title
      find tw aids and jo nursing times
      f au romano, w and jo radiology
    3. Journal Field Subsets
      find su ethics and subset dental
      find su consumer satisfaction and subs nursing
      f mxs tuberculosis and subset aim
      f xs insurance benefits and subs health
    4. Human or Animal Studies
      find su epilepsy and xs human
      f su depression and xs animal
    5. Male or Female Studies
      find xs cocaine and xs male
      f su smoking and xs female
    6. Type of Publication
      find su depression and pt review
      f su aids and pt clinical trial
    7. Case Reports
      find su brucellosis and xs case report
    8. Date of Publication
      find su cocaine and date 1994
      f kw surrogate# mother# and date 1992-1994
    9. Age Groups f exp xs accidents and xs infant
      infant, newborn . . . . . . . . birth to 1 month
      infant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 - 23 months
      child, preschool . . . . . . . . . . .2 - 5 years
      child. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 6 - 12 years
      adolescence. . . . . . . . . . . . .13 - 18 years
      adult. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 - 44 years
      middle age . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 - 64 years
      aged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 years and over
      aged, 80 and over. . . . . . .80 years and over
Display Options
    display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . au, ti, jo, pt, ui
    d abs. . . . . . . . . . . au, ti, jo, pt, ui, abstract
    d review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ti, jo
    d long . . . . . . . . . . . all fields except abstract
    d ti su ui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ti, su, ui
    d 3 610. . . . . . . . . . . displays citations 3, 6,10
    d 25-. . . . . . . . . . . displays from citation 25 on
    d medline. . . . . . . . . . .records are in NLM format
    d cont slow. . . . . displays continuously for printing
    or downloading
    d loc . .displays library locations; can limit
    to specific campus(es)
    d hol . displays library holdings and location

Saving a List of Citations
    save
    save 2 3 5     ...saves citations 2, 3, 5 as 1, 2, 3 in a list

Displaying a Saved List
    display list . . . . . . . . . . starts with citation 1
    d list abs . . . . . . . . . . . . au, ti, jo, abstract
    d list long. . . . . . .au, ad, ti, lan, subset, su, jo

Deleting Citations From a Saved List
    del all. . . . . . . . . . . . . .deletes all citations
    del 1 4-6. . . . . . . . . deletes citations 1, 4, 5, 6
    del duplicates . . . . . . .deletes duplicate citations

Electronic Mailing of Search Results
    explain mail

Update
    Use the UPDATE (UPD) command to have new search results mailed to you as a database is updated.

    Be sure you are in the database you want to search, then enter update. You will be prompted for your electronic mail address, and your database password if necessary. Then enter a search. Type explain update for more information.


MELVYL® Request
    Use the REQUEST command to initiate a request for a document to be delivered to you through ORION EXPRESS. Type explain request for more information.