What does the forward slash [“/”] mean in a displayed search statement?
When searching in a database with a thesaurus, Ovid will “map” unqualified searches to the controlled indexing language of the database. If you follow the mapping process and post results to the Main Search Page, your search statement will be displayed in “command-line” format. This format corresponds to the search language which may be used to enter searches directly from the command line. The forward slash [“/”] means the term is a Subject Heading and has been searched directly in the database, bypassing the thesaurus. For more information on entering search statements, link to either of the following reference items: • Command Line Syntax • Reference: Bypassing the Thesaurus Back to the top of this page How do I find out more information about the database I am going to search? Information about the scope and coverage of each database appears in the Ovid Field Guides, including an alphabetic list of all available fields and limits with search examples. The Field Guides are available
