When you first enter PubMed, you will be searching
by keyword. To search by Medical Subject Heading (MeSH), select
“MeSH Database” in the blue bar on the left side of
the screen.
Enter your first term. If PubMed is able to find a match,
you will be offered a series of choices. From the pull-down menu labeled "Send to" select "Search Box with AND".
Perform this step as many times as necessary. You will begin
to see your search build up in the search box. When you have
entered all the terms you need to, click on the grey button labeled
“Search PubMed”.
To apply necessary limits, click on the option for “Limits”
on the grey bar that contains the search box. You may apply
as many limits as you like.
Then click on “Go”.
To look at the abstract for a specific article, click on the authors’
name(s). Some publishers allow you to link out to the full
text of an article by clicking on an icon at the top of the abstract
|
If you want to apply sub-headings to your search
term, click on the term and you will get a detailed display of all
available options.
If you want to combine searches, click on the option for “History”
on the grey bar that contains the search box. You may combine
as many searches in the history as you like. Remember to place
the pound sign (#) before the set number.
If you want to email your results, select "E-mail" from the pull-down menu labeled "Send to".
If you find a good article and want to what other similar articles
exist, click on the link for “Related Articles”.
To find the most recent article, select "Pub Date" (for Publication Date) from the pull-down menu labeled "Sort by">
This will sort the articles with the most recent coming up first.
This is the most efficient way to bring a search up to currency
if you have found an early paper cited in a secondary or tertiary
resources like ACP Journal Club, Clinical Evidence, Cochrane, or
Up-to-Date.
Another option in PubMed that is helpful if you are searching for
evidence-based articles is to click on “Clinical Queries”
on the blue bar on the left side of the screen. Select the
type of article you are searching for (therapy, diagnosis, etiology,
and prognosis). Then decide whether you want to find the most
focused articles (specificity) or a broader look (sensitivity).
You can also look for Systematic Reviews on this page by entering your terms in the search box for that option.
Keep in mind that with this option you are always searching by keyword.
|
