UNM Valencia Valencia Campus Library

Using PubMed

Step

Action

1

Go to PubMed.

Open your browser and go to Pub Med Advanced Search screen. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/advanced)

pubmedadvancedsearch (2776K)

2

Create a Search Strategy.

Enter your topic using Keyword or MESH searching.
  • Identify the most important concepts/words for your topic. (See handout.)
  • Know how to connect words with Boolean logic (and, or, not).
  • Keyword will retrieve more articles. (Quantity)
  • MESH will retrieve more focused articles. (Quality)

 

Keyword Searching

  • Type search word into Keyword search box.
  • Click on "Add to Search Box with AND OR NOT"


    • keywordsearchbox (302K)
  • Type next search word into Keyword search box.
  • Click on "Add to Search Box with AND OR NOT"
  • Continue until your topic is entered into PubMed Search box.
    • kwpubmedsearchbox (238K)
  • Click on "SEARCH" in PubMed search box.

 

MESH Searching

  • Click on MESH Database in Other Resources. clickmesh (111K)
  • Type search word into MESH search box.
  • Click on "GO".


    • meshsearchbox (216K)
  • Click on the MESH heading you want from list that displays.
    • Note use of heading.
    • Note use of "subheadings" related to your heading for more specific retrieval.
    • Note place of heading in TREE for additonal possible MESH headings.
  • Put a checkmark in the boxes of heading you want to search.
  • Choose SEND TO SEARCH BOX WITH AND OR OR as appropriate.
  • Type next search word into MESH search box and select your next part of your topic.
  • Continue until your topic is entered into PubMed Search box.


    • meshpubmedsearchbox (1462K)
  • Click on "SEARCH PUBMED" in PubMed search box.

3

Evaluate your results and revise as necessary.

  • Scan the titles of articles retrieved to determine if the search strategy worked.
  • Use LIMIT to further refine your results.

    limits (3184K)
  • Add additional words to your search.

4

Get the article.

  • Use full text from PubMed if available.
  • Use E-Journal Finder to find fulltext elsewhere.
  • Request an Interlibrary Loan (5-10 day and money)
  • Ask LeAnn, Barbara or Judy for help.

5

Use the information.