Help for E-Resources/Article Databases

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Searching

Videos: Searching PubMed

  1. Select database from the UW-Madison Libraries Web site.
  2. Type a word or phrase in the search box.
  3. Click GO.

Combining Terms

Use OR (all capitals) to connect similar terms. OR broadens your search.

Example: rash OR hives

Use AND (all capitals) to connect separate concepts. AND narrows your search.

Example: measles AND pregnancy

Truncating Terms

Use * to replace one or more characters at the end of a search term.

Example: infect* (retrieves infect, infected, infects, infection, etc.)

Note: If you receive a warning about only retrieving the first 600 variations, lengthen the root word to search for all endings.

Proximity Searching

Use quotation marks around words that you need to be searched as a phrase.

Example: "in utero"

Note: Try it without quotation marks first. If the results are not satisfactory then try using quotation marks.

Combining Search Sets

  1. Click HISTORY located below the search box.
  2. Type the search numbers preceded by # using AND or OR as needed.
  3. Click GO.

    4. Example: #2 AND #6

Author Searching

  1. Type the last name plus initial(s) in the search box. Do not use punctuation.
  2. Click GO.

    3. Example: johnson d

Journal Searching

To find a specific article:

  1. Click SINGLE CITATION MATCHER at the left side of the screen.
  2. Type the information you know in the appropriate boxes..
  3. Click SEARCH.

To browse a specific journal:

  1. Click JOURNALS DATABASE at the left side of the screen.
  2. Type the name of the journal in the search box.
  3. Click GO.
  4. Find the correct journal and click LINKS at the right side of the screen.
  5. Click PUBMED from the drop-down menu that appears.
  6. Click LIMITS to limit to a certain date.

Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) Searching

Videos: Searching PubMed's MeSH Database
  1. Click MESH DATABASE at the left side of the screen.
  2. Type a word or phrase in the search box after FOR.
  3. Click GO. PubMed will try to find the Medical Subject Heading that matches your word or phrase.
  4. Click on the Medical Subject Heading link that is closet to your word or phrase.
  5. Check the box next to desired Medical Subject Heading.
    (Optional)Click the box of desired subheadings to narrow your search.
  6. Click SEND TO drop down menu and select the desired SEARCH BOX WITH... choice.
    (Optional) Repeat step #2-6 to add more concepts.
  7. Click SEARCH PUBMED to exit the MeSH Database and perform your search in PubMed.

Eliminating Review Articles

Video (~2 min.)

Displaying Search Results

Note: (Optional) Increase the SHOW drop-down menu number.

  1. Move through records on the page.
  2. Click NEXT or PREVIOUS to move to other pages.
    (Optional) Specify a page number and click PAGE.
  3. To display records in a different format click DISPLAY and select the desired format from the drop-down menu.
    (Optional) ABSTRACT or CITATION formats are recommended as they include FindIt to help locate full text.
  4. Click DISPLAY.

Selecting Records

  1. Click box next to the record for later printing, downloading or emailing.
  2. Click SEND TO and select CLIPBOARD from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click CLIPBOARD below the search box to view saved records.

    Note: You only need to use the Clipboard if you are selecting records from more than one page or search set. If you have selected records on one page only, you can print, download or email directly from that page.

Saving Search Results

Note: (Optional) Increase the SHOW drop-down menu number.

  1. View the records you want to save from the Clipboard or a search results page.
  2. Click DISPLAY and select the desired format from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click SEND TO and select FILE from the drop-down menu.
  4. Click SAVE.
  5. Select your SAVE IN destination and type your filename using a .txt extension.

    Example: myfile.txt

  6. Click SAVE.

Exporting Search Results to RefWorks

Moving Citations from PubMed into RefWorks

Emailing Search Results

  1. View the records you want to print from the Clipboard or a search results page.
  2. Click SEND TO and select E-MAIL from the drop-down menu.
  3. Enter the destination email address.
    (Optional) Use the drop-down menus to change the display FORMAT or SORT order.
    (Optional) Add a message in the ADDITIONAL TEXT box.
  4. Click MAIL.

Setting Up RSS Feeds & Alerts

RSS & Alert Guides: PubMed

Beginning a New Search, Getting Help, and Exiting

Beginning a New Search

  1. Click CLEAR next to the GO button.
  2. Type a word or phrase in the search box.
  3. Click GO.

Getting Help

Click HELP for on-screen help. May need to click PUBMED in the black navigation bar to see HELP on the left.

PubMed Tutorial and PubMed Quick Tour Videos.

For further assistance, consult library staff.

Exiting

  1. Close browser window.

Databases Covered by this Guide

  • PubMed (Includes MEDLINE)

    ...and other NCBI Entrez databases.