Finding Information #2 – Searching PubMed

PubMed is a freely available version of the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s MEDLINE database and also provides access to some additional content not selected for MEDLINE. PubMed doesn’t contain full-text articles, but may link to publishers’ websites and other resources

Access PubMed via QUT Library’s Databases and specialised search tools. You can then select Health or view all databases to find the PubMed link. When you connect to PubMed, using your QUT login details, and search for information a QUT Fulltext Finder link may appear. This allows you to check if a fulltext copy of an article is available via QUT Library.

Simple steps for searching PubMed:

1. Identify your search terms for each of your main concepts
2. Perform a simple search by entering terms in the PubMed search box
3. Include terms from the controlled vocabulary MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)
4. Use the advanced search to see your search history and combine searches
5. Apply limits to your search results using the filters sidebar

PubMed uses Automatic Term Mapping which automatically searches for phrases and MeSH terms. Check for successful mapping to MeSH terms by viewing the “Search details” box on your Search results page.

For more help searching PubMed, check out the comprehensive online PubMed Tutorial.

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