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Proximity searches are a way to search for words near each other.
We use quotation marks to search for phrases, signalling to the database that we want these words to be searched next to each other. If we don't put quotation marks around "social anxiety", the database will search the words separately, and they might be sentences apart. Whenever you search for phrases, you will want to put them in quotation marks.
We can also search for words close together, but not necessarily next to each other. Theses are types of proximity operators, and each database uses different wording and syntax to describe this type of search. Please see below for how different databases allow this type of proximity searching.
Adjacency
Ovid databases use ADJn, where n= the number of words apart your search terms are.
psychologist adj5 relationship - this will retrieve results where psychologist and relationship are a maximum 5 words apart, in any order. For example:
Adjacency
In PubMed, proximity operators look quite different, but function similarly to other databases. They use the format: "search terms"[field:~n], where:
"patient relationship"[tiab:~3] - will return results where the words "patient" and "relationship" appear in the title or abstract, with a maximum of three words between them, in any order. For example:
Near
EBSCOhost uses Nn, where n= the maximum number of words apart your search terms are, in any order.
consumer N3 research - this will retrieve results where "consumer" and "research" are a maximum 3 words apart, in any order. For example:
Within
EBSCOhost uses Wn, where n= the maximum number of words apart your search terms are, in that specific order.
consumer W3 research - this will retrieve results where "consumer" and "research" are a maximum 3 words apart, in that order. For example:
Near
ProQuest databases use NEAR/n or N/n, where n= the maximum number of words apart your search terms are, in any order.
shortage N/3 nurs* OR shortage NEAR/3 nurs* - retrieve results where "shortage" and "nurs*" are a maximum 3 words apart, in any order. For example:
Precedes
ProQuest databases use PRE/n or P/n, where n=the maximum number of words after the first search term that precede the second search term.
consumer PRE/3 research OR consumer P/3 research - retrieve results where "consumer" and "research" are a maximum 3 words apart, and "consumer" always comes first. For example: