Building, Limiting and Saving a PubMed® Search for

Osteoporosis Research

Kathleen McKimLS5473-Texas Woman’s University

Summer 2012

View the Tutorial

http://screencast.com/t/mmtQzjBg34

Step #1

• Identify key concepts based on the natural language query.

• Example: What is the latest, most reliable data regarding the efficiency of various methods to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis?

• KEY CONCEPTS– Osteoporosis– Postmenopausal– Prevention– Evidence-based

Step #2

• Go to www.pubmed.gov to convert key concepts into appropriate MeSH terms using the MeSH database.

• Example: osteoporosis• MeSH Terms– Osteoporosis– Osteoporosis, postmenopausal• Subheading: prevention and control

Once you have located your MeSH term, you can chose a subheading and add it to the search builder on the left. You can combine as many related MeSH headings as you like.

Step #3

• After you have built your search, click “Search PubMed.” If you have chosen appropriate MeSH terms, you will have good results.

• If you find too many results, use the Search Filters on the right side of the screen to limit your results.

Step #4• Select the articles you are interested in, and send them to the

clipboard for later viewing.

For More Information

• View the tutorial “Branching Out: the MeSH Vocabulary,” available online from the US National Library of Medicine (NLM)

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/video/• For questions, comments or additional help,

please contact Kathleen at mckim@twu.edu