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How to search for a specific journal?

To search for a journal, use the Journal search field with the prefix ta: followed by the abbreviated journal title, in quotation marks.

Examples:

ta:"lancet"

ta:"Acta Paul. Enferm. (Online)"

ta:"Acta bioeth"

✅ Check the list of journals and their abbreviations in the Portal of Scientific Journals

How to search by study methodology or by publication type?

Use the Publication type field, with the prefix pt: followed by the publication characteristic (format, component, or methodology), according to DeCS/MeSH. Examples:

pt:"Controlled Clinical Trial"

pt:"Erratum"

pt:"Systematic Review"

✅ In the results interface, the Study Types filter allows the retrieval of documents indexed according to their methodology. This feature is based on search strategies that increase retrieval sensitivity, enabling the identification of specific study types, such as controlled clinical trials, cohort studies, and systematic reviews.

How to use Boolean operators to combine terms and refine my search?

Use logical operators to indicate how terms should be combined:

AND: retrieves documents that contain all terms (e.g., diabetes AND hypertension AND obesity)
OR: retrieves documents with at least one of the terms (e.g., diabetes OR hypertension)
AND NOT: excludes documents containing the specified term (e.g., diabetes AND NOT gestational)

⚠️ When applying more than one Boolean operator in the same search expression, the use of parentheses is mandatory to organize and ensure the correct logic of the combination.

Example:

(diabetes* OR obesity) AND (hypertension OR "metabolic syndrome" OR "cardiovascular diseases")

How to combine different fields in a single search?

You can build a search strategy by combining fields with Boolean operators.

Example:

(mh:"dengue" OR mh:"chikungunya fever" OR mh:"zika virus infection") AND ti:outbreak AND da:202*

This means: searching for documents with the descriptors Dengue or Chikungunya Fever or Zika Virus Infection, with the term outbreak in the title, and published from 2020 onward, up to 2029.

✅ Remember that when using more than one Boolean operator, as in the example above, the search must be organized using parentheses.

Learn more about building search strategies in the tutorials and courses available in the How to search section on the Regional BVS Portal.

What is My VHL?

It is a service that stores user information and preferences. It is freely available to any user through their Facebook, Google, BIREME Account, or the Mi BVS service itself. Mi BVS is also available as an app on Google and Apple platforms.

There you can:

Save your searches
Create alerts for new results
Manage history and favorites
Receive alerts for new related publications.

✅ It is not mandatory to have an account to use the portal, but personalized services are available only for registered users

How to search by words in a document abstract?

Use the search field ab: field followed by the term of interest.

Examples:

ab:amazonia
ab:"natural resources"

Best practices for building a search strategy and documenting the research

Best practices for building a search strategy:

- Always use a colon : after the search field code.
  Example: ti:dengue
- Use quotation marks for compound terms and for all Subject Descriptors.
  Example: "dengue hemorrhagic"
- Avoid copying expressions directly from Word or other text editors with automatic formatting. These programs may insert invisible characters (such as curly quotes, non-breaking spaces, or special hyphens) that interfere with search execution, leading to incorrect results or even errors.
Document and edit your search strategy using tools such as Notepad or Excel, which do not apply hidden formatting. This practice helps keep the expression structure clean and compatible with databases, especially in systems such as BVS, LILACS, PubMed, etc.

Research documentation:

Always record the full details of your search strategy. In addition to saving the search syntax, it is highly recommended to document the following elements:

- Information sources used: clearly indicate which database or platform was used (e.g., LILACS, PubMed, Regional BVS, SciELO, etc.).
- Search date: this information is essential to ensure reproducibility and traceability. Always record the day/month/year when the search was performed.
- Number of results retrieved: record the total number of documents found to monitor changes in future searches and evaluate adjustments in syntax.
- Direct link to the search results (when available): many platforms (such as BVS) generate a URL with the applied strategy. This link facilitates sharing and later verification.

This practice ensures the reproducibility of the research and guarantees the application of transparency principles recommended in scientific production.

What is truncation and how to apply it?

Truncation is performed using the asterisk symbol (*) at the end of a word root to retrieve different word endings:

diabet* retrieves diabetes, diabetic, diabetics
Brasil* retrieves brasileño, brasileña, brasileiro, brasileira, etc.

⚠️ Truncation does not work with terms in quotation marks

Can I receive specialized assistance for my search?

Yes!

The guidance service is available through the Contact or Ask a Librarian option.

A BVS Network professional will respond to your inquiry by email.

How to search words in title, abstract, and subject simultaneously?

Use the Text words field, with the prefix tw: to search across the main fields (title, abstract, subject descriptors, and keywords).

Examples:

tw:aids = search for the term aids only

tw:"parkinson disease" = search for the term "parkinson disease"

✅ This field is the system default, and its inclusion in the search expression is optional. It is the ideal field for initial searches or broader and more sensitive retrieval.