Learning Resource Center: Creating Saved Searches & Auto Email Alerts: Ovid Databases: PsycINFO, Ovid MEDLINE, and others

Create an Ovid Personal Account

To create a personal account, login to one of the Ovid databases and click My Account, see image below.

From the Personal Account Login screen (not shown), click Create a New Personal Account and complete the registration process. (Yes, another ID and password combo you have to remember!)

Ovid My Account features

Creating an Auto-Alert

Run your search in an OVID database (e.g., CINAHL). Expand the Search History to view and select a search you want to save.
Next, click More >> next to the search to save and select Auto Alert.

Ovid Search History

Search Preferences Screen

On this screen, enter a Search Name and Comment for your search and select an alert schedule. The Auto-Alert function has many options to personalize your e-mail updates, see below. When you are done, click SAVE to store your settings.

E-Mail Address: enter one or more e-mail address(es) (separated by commas) to receive the updates.
E-Mail Results: send results in-text or as an attachment; you can include the search strategy in the update.
RSS feed: results can be delivered via RSS feed. (See directions below.)
Output Type: choose to send the e-mail in HTML or text (ASCII) format.
Report Type: enable links that will link you directly to the database results from your e-mail.
Fields: the e-mail can include citations, abstracts, or full text if available.
Scheduling Options: schedule how often you would like to receive e-mail updates.
Saved Searches and AutoAlerts from other Ovid databases are all stored in a single OVID "My Account."

Saving Your Search History

Often times, the building of a "good" search strategy requires many single searches which are combined using boolean connectors (AND, OR, NOT). You will need to save the entire Search History in order to have your complete search.

When you save your Search History, you will be able to rerun the search and also edit specific search lines within the strategy.

Once you feel confident that your search is complete, click Expand next to Search History. NOTE: It may be a good idea to review your search history and remove any unnecessary searches. Follow the steps below:

If you have not done so, login to My Account.
From the Search History window, click Save History.

Search History

You will be prompted to provide a search name. NOTE: It is a good idea to add the date to the Comment field. When you are done, click Save.

Search Name Options

Your search will be saved in My Workspace under My Searches & Alerts. You can return to the saved search history to rerun, edit, display or email.

My Workplace configuration options

Saving Items to My Projects

Use My Projects to store search results, including your Auto-Alert search results. If you haven't done so, login to your Ovid account.

From the search results window, you can individually add citations or Select All to add to My Projects.

Add to Projects Screenshoot

You will be prompted to add a new project or append to an existing one. NOTE: We suggest that you add a project description and include the date. When you are done, click Add Item(s).

Add to Projects configuration screen

To access your saved items, click My Workspace and select MyProjects.

Accessing Saved Projects

eTOCS (Table of Contents) Alerts

Use My eTocs to receive eletronic table of content delivery for desired journals. To do this, you must first login into your Ovid account and follow the steps below:

Click My Workspace and select My eTocs.
Next, enter your email address and click Enter.

In the next screen (see below), you will see two boxes, one with your Active eTOC Subscriptions and one with Additional eTOC Subscriptions that are available.

To add journals: From the bottom box, highlight the journal title you wish to receive and click Add Text or Add Html.
To remove journals: From the top box highlight the title and click Remove.