The Summer issue of the Library Bulletinlink removed contained an article about a new full-text resource, the Cochrane Librarylink removed. The core of the Cochrane Library is the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The following are search tips which users may find helpful in using this new resource.

• Users can access the database from the Library's homepagelink removed or by accessing the page directly (http://www.cochranelibrary.com/enter/link removed). The database is available only to patrons on the LSUHSC domain in the New Orleans area. At the introductory screen, press ENTER to begin; no User Name or Password is necessary.
• To search the Cochrane Library, simply enter a term in the Search window that appears near the top of each screen and click on the button labeled Search. All databases in the library are searched, and the results are shown in the Database Table. All text is searched in the default setting (titles, abstracts, authors' names, citations, keywords.)
• Multiple terms may be entered in the search box to find documents more specific to your requirements. The search will retrieve documents containing all the words entered, which is equivalent to using Boolean AND.
  Example: Heart bypass will retrieve records which contain both heart and bypass.
  Note that the order of the words is irrelevant and the Cochrane Library will match words in documents wherever they occur. It does not match the exact phrase.
• Phrases - For a more specific search, a phrase combining two or more words can be placed inside double quotes in the search box.
  Search: "ambulatory blood pressure"
  This search is interpreted as "AMBULATORY next to BLOOD next to PRESSURE" and will retrieve documents, which contain that phrase.
• The following are ignored in searches in the Cochrane Library database:
  upper and lower case, stopwords, numbers, and punctuation at the beginning and the end of words.
• Asterisks (*) are Wildcards. Matches are made with all words that begin with the string of characters before the asterisk.
  Example: Diabet* will retrieve diabetes, diabetic, diabetics, etc.
• Many, but not all, entries in the Cochrane Library are indexed using Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms. Consequently, searches using the MeSH thesaurus will never be 100% accurate. To search a MeSH term:
  1. Open the MeSH search screen by clicking on the "MeSH" link in blue to the right of the search box.
  2. Enter one word and click on Thesaurus. All MeSH headings containing the word will be displayed under the bold entry for that word.
  3. Locate and click on the specific MeSH term in which you are interested.
  4. Search the database using the MeSH term selected by clicking "Single term" for the exact term, or "Exploded term" for the term and all narrower terms (if applicable) in the MeSH.
  5. The search system returns to the opening screen and displays the hits found for the MeSH search.
  MeSH searching is useful but should be combined with a free-text search to carry out a more comprehensive query of the Cochrane Library.
• Author search - An author's name may be searched most efficiently by using the Options search screen.
  1. Open the Options search screen by clicking on the "Options" link in blue to the right of the search box.
  2. Select the "Restrict search to author only" option and click "OK."
  3. Enter author's name in Search box and click on "Search."
  4. The search system returns to the opening screen and displays the hits found for the author's name.
• The Cochrane Library is indexed in MEDLINE and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature). MEDLINE is searchable through the Ovidlink removed, MDConsultlink removed, and PubMedlink removed systems, while CINAHL is available through Ovidlink removed and WebSPIRS/Silver Platterlink removed.
• Citing the Cochrane Library is simple the databases have set forms of citation. For each review, users are given the correct format.
• Use the "Exit" icon at the top of the screen to log-off in order to leave The Cochrane Library. If not, the system will keep a user logged on for 15 minutes which may prevent others from accessing the database.

For additional information and assistance, consult The Cochrane Library's Help screens or contact the Library's Reference Department at 568-6102 or 568-8339, or the Dental Library at 619-8507 to answer questions or address concerns.

-- Pauline Fuldalink removed &
Carolyn K. Bridgewaterlink removed