AN INTRODUCTION TO

PUBMED AND MESH

IS A DATABASE OF MEDICAL LITERATURE

DEVELOPED BY THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF

MEDICINE. IT INDEXES OVER 5,500

JOURNALS AND COMPRISES OVER 21

MILLION JOURNAL ARTICLES AND BOOKS.

IS UPDATED ALMOST EVERY DAY

IS UPDATED ALMOST EVERY DAY

INCLUDES ARTICLES FROM AS FAR

BACK AS THE 1940S

IS UPDATED ALMOST EVERY DAY

INCLUDES ARTICLES FROM AS FAR

BACK AS THE 1940S

COVERS TOPICS IN THE CLINICAL

AND BASIC SCIENCES

MESH

MESH =

MESH = MEDICAL

SUBJECT

HEADINGS

MESH = MeSH terms represent

concepts found in the

medical literature. They

are used to describe

articles in PubMed.

MESH = COOL

MESH = COOL (Because it can help you

find things in PubMed.)

FROM THE SEARCH BAR

USE THE DROPDOWN MENU

TO SELECT MeSH

veterinary medicine

AND SEARCH FOR TERMS

prions

let’s break

this down

This is the scope note: it defines

how the term is used by MeSH.

This is the scope note: it defines

how the term is used by MeSH.

Words in caps are

other MeSH terms.

Using subheadings narrows the results to

specific aspects of the concept. You can

also choose to get only articles that have a

major focus on the concept.

Entry terms are other words used for the

same concept. Previous indexing shows

older terms—you can use them to find

older articles dealing with this concept.

The tree at the bottom shows how

this term is related to other terms.

They follow a hierarchical structure.

The search builder is,

naturally, used to build

searches using MeSH

terms.

The search builder is,

naturally, used to build

searches using MeSH

terms.

Here’s how.

First, check off any subheadings or other

restrictions you want to use. (If you don’t

check any, it will just use the main term.)

...Choose the operator you want…

(“and” = narrow

“or” = broaden

“not” = exclude)

…and click “add to search builder.”

…and click “add to search builder.”

You can add multiple terms from

multiple searches using the same

steps. The search builder will keep

track of what you add each time.

That’s all for now.

Slideshow created by Zach Sharrow

Health Sciences Librarian

Lincoln Memorial University

zachary.sharrow@lmunet.edu

Use your new powers wisely.