We want to identify how wide to set proximity operators to search effectively for 'metastatic breast cancer' in the Ovid interface. To do that we can use Voyant Tools and Ovid results . We can also use this exercise to load results as single records (using the XML option).
To get Ovid records in XML format see instructions on the right hand of this page.
Once you have a file to load go to Voyant Tools
On the home page select the Options icon (two circles)
Then select the XML option by clicking on the down arrow
In the Documents box type //ovidresults//records/record
Click OK
Back on the home page, click on Upload
Select the file you have downloaded from the Ovid search
Depending on the size of the file loading may take a little while
If you cannot access Ovid then please just download some records from PubMed into a file and load that file into Voyant Tools - the file will be loaded as a single file rather than as individual records.
In the bottom left pane, click on the phrases box.
To search for specific words in proximity type in the words in the bottom search box (with the question mark), e.g. "metastatic breast"~5.
(this is the tilde sign and then the number of words that might separate metastatic and breast)
If you look down the list of results you can gauge how many words might intervene between the two words and then you can choose your proximity operator accordingly.
this is a useful check for any phrase searches - unexpected words may often appear between two words we assume are most likely to be phrases
Search for 'metastatic AND breast cancer AND 2020
Select between 600 and 1000 records
Export the fields ti,ab,kw in XML format
Save the file to the desktop