How to improve your PubMed/MEDLINE searches: 3. advanced searching, MeSH and My NCBI
Summary
Although the basic PubMed search is often helpful, the results may sometimes be non-specific. For more control over the search process you can use the Advanced Search Builder interface. This allows a targeted search in specific fields, with the convenience of being able to select the intended search field from a list. It also provides a history of your previous searches. The search history is useful to develop a complex search query by combining several previous searches using Boolean operators. For indexing the articles in MEDLINE, the NLM uses a controlled vocabulary system called MeSH. This standardised vocabulary solves the problem of authors, researchers and librarians who may use different terms for the same concept. To be efficient in a PubMed search, you should start by identifying the most appropriate MeSH terms and use them in your search where possible. My NCBI is a personal workspace facility available through PubMed and makes it possible to customise the PubMed interface. It provides various capabilities that can enhance your search performance.
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References
1. Mosa AS, Yoo I. A study on PubMed search tag usage pattern: association rule mining of a full-day PubMed query log. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2013; 13: 8.
2. NLM. Fact Sheet: Online Indexing System. See http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/online_indexing_system.html (last checked 14 October 2013).
3. Marshall JG, Sollenberger J, Easterby-Gannett S, et al. The value of library and information services in patient care: results of a multisite study. J Med Libr Assoc 2013; 101: 38–46.
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Article first published online: March 10, 2014
Issue published: March 2014
PubMed: 24614997
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This article was published in Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare.
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