Searching

Basic Search

Basic searching in PubMed is straightforward. Enter your keyword term(s) in the search box at the top and click the Search button.

PubMed may suggest topics for you, and if you like any of them you can simply click on one. It's usually a good idea to start with a broad search, then narrow your results.

Do not use full sentences. Use keywords, author names, or journal titles.

Advanced Search

An Advanced Search in PubMed allows you to narrow your search and find specific resources. By selecting "Advanced" under the search bar, you are taken to the PubMed Advanced Search Builder. From here, you can "add terms to the query box" and search by the specified field you choose. You can search by fields such as (but not limited to):

• Title
• Author
• Journal
• ISBN
• MeSH (Medical Subject Heading)
• Field Descriptions (tags)

Search Techniques

There are many techniques to refine your search in PubMed, including Boolean Operators, truncation, and search filters.

Boolean Operators are used to connect pieces of information within a search. You can use the operators AND OR and NOT to focus your search results.

AND

• Used to narrow your search
• All terms connected must be present in the results
• e.g. virus AND cell death AND influenza

OR

• Used to broaden your search
• Either of the terms must be present in the results
• e.g. flu OR influenza

NOT

• Used to exclude terms in your search
• Ignoring terms that may typically be present in your search
• e.g. virus NOT influenza

Truncation in PubMed is used with an asterisk (*). It builds on the asterisked word from the right.

• Broadens your search
• Searches for multiple variants of a word (singular/plural/conjugations etc)
• e.g. gene*
  • this would search for words such as: gene, genetic, genetically, etc

PMID

Often, you may want to find a particular citation in PubMed. There are a couple of quick and easy ways to do this, so that you don't have to go through a formal search.

One way is the PubMed ID (PMID). It is a series of number and appears with each citation. If you have that, simply type (or copy and paste) it into the search box and the citation appears.

Find Evidence-Based Articles

Filter (Limit) to Article Type

Most citations in PubMed are for journal articles. However, you may limit your retrieval based on the type of material the article represents. Use the Filters on the Results page sidebar and look at the Article Types checklist which contains a list of frequently searched publication types.

For example, choose Randomized Controlled Trial or Clinical Trial or Meta-Analysis from the list.

PubMed Clinical Queries

Enter your search terms, and evidence-filtered citations will appear under Clinical Study Categories. Systematic Reviews or Medical Genetics. The Clinical Queries link is found on the PubMed homepage under Find.

Clinical Study Categories

This specialized search query with built-in research methodology search filters is intended for clinicians. Five study categories or filters are provided: etiology, diagnosis, therapy, prognosis, and clinical prediction guides. Two emphasis categories or filters are provided: broad/sensitive search (includes relevant articles but probably some less relevant) and narrow/specific search (more precise articles, with less retrieval). NOTE: We suggest changing to Narrow scope rather than Broad.

Systematic Reviews

This feature is provided to help clinicians locate systematic reviews and similar articles. It combines your search term(s) with citations identified as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, reviews of clinical trials, evidence-based medicine, consensus development conferences, and guidelines.

The resulting retrieval in PubMed Clinical Queries can be further refined using PubMed's Filters, e.g., English language, humans.

Limit to Articles with Structured Abstracts

Many abstracts that are added to PubMed include section labels such as BACKGROUND, OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS, and CONCLUSIONS. These 'structured' abstracts appear in many different article types, such as review articles, original research, and practice guidelines, and facilitate skimming of citations for relevance and specific information, such as research design within the Methods section. The presence of structured abstracts in citations is a searchable feature in PubMed. To limit to citations containing structured abstracts, include the term hasstructuredabstract in the search box.

Example: valerian AND sleep AND hasstructuredabstract