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Embase (English): Introduction

This LibGuide offers an overview of the various search options of the biomedical database Embase on the Ovid platform.

What is Embase?

​Embase (Excerpta Medica Database) is one of the largest databases for biomedical literature and consists of:

  • > 38 million references from 1974 - now
    • including ±4 million conference abstracts from 2009 - now
  • > 7500 biomedical journals

Embase Ovid logoEmbase is a product of Elsevier. The Radboud University has a license through Ovid.

When to use Embase?

As your primary database:

  • for literature on drugs and chemicals (pharmacology)
  • for literature on medical devices
  • for literature in the form of conference abstracts

As an addition to PubMed or MEDLINE:

  • when you have found too few articles
  • for an extensive literature review, e.g. a systematic review

How to access Embase?

Access Embase using the Embase URL provided by the University Library. This link also enables staff members and students of the Radboud University and Radboudumc to have access off campus.

Users can log in with their Z-, S- or U-number. The Radboud Full Text link link provides access to full text articles from the collection of the University Library.

How to navigate through this LibGuide?

QuestionWhy do you want to use Embase?

  • To quickly find a couple of relevant articles:
      Go to page: Basic Search
  • For an extensive literature search:
    • Do you have a PubMed or MEDLINE search strategy that you would like to translate to Embase?
        Start at page: From PubMed to Embase
    • Would you like to use Embase as a starting point?
        Start at page: Emtree​

Embase vs. PubMed

*The overlap between Embase and PubMed is ±70-90% and depends largely on the scientific subdiscipline.
  Embase PubMed
Content*
  • > 38 million references:
  • articles
  • conference abstracts
  • > 34 million references:
  • articles
Keywords
  • more (specific) keywords
  • > 71,000 Emtree terms
  •  
  • > 27,000 MeSH terms
Access via (paid) library license free of charge
Owner Elsevier (commercial publisher) National Library of Medicine
(US government)