PubMed and MeSH

Why use MeSH?

Someone from National Library of Medicine has actually read the article, and individually tags the articles. By labeling an article with MeSH terms, they are telling you what the article is about, rather if the term appears inside of the article.

In addition to this, MeSH terms are pre-defined and have synonyms included. 

Coronary Artery Disease:

What is a MeSH Tree?

MeSH terms are organized in a hierarchical order. This hierarchical order is also known as a MeSH tree. If you find that your results are too broad or narrow, look up the MeSH record to see if you can find a term that is more specific or narrow that might address your research question better. The MeSH tree can be found at the bottom of every MeSH record.

Starting the Search:

Once you have accessed PubMed, you want to access the MeSH database. This is under the Explore Heading, which is below the search bar on the right hand side.

After you have accessed the MeSH Database, you can enter your initial search term, or your first key word. The search bar will suggest MeSH terms as you type, as shown below. After you have entered your search term, click Search.

Once you have been brought to the page of your MeSH term, select any subheadings that would be relevant to your search. For our example, diet therapy would be relevant.

Below the Subheadings, there are two additional boxes:

Restrict to MeSH Major Topic: This would limit the search to citations with the search term as a main concept

Do not include MeSH terms found below this term in the MeSH Hierarchy: This box allows for the search to include your main search term, as well as any more narrow term. 

Adding Additional Terms:

Once you have selected the Subheadings, and any additional boxes, you would add them to your search. To add to your search, you would select, "add to search builder". This button is located on the upper right corner of the MeSH term's page. 

Once you have added your initial search term, and it's subheading to your search, you can then search for your second term. You would do so by entering it in the search bar, and pressing search. The work you have done with the previous term is saved. You would then repeat the process, you would add all relevant subheadings and relevant boxes, and you would select, "add to search builder". 

Adding Boolean Operators:

As we went over in the Search Effectively Tab, Boolean Operators allow you to narrow or broaden your search. In the case of this search, we would use the Operator of AND to narrow our search to include results with only Coronary Disease and Mediterranean Diet.

You can also select OR or NOT as well from the drop down menu that is next to the Add to search builder button. You would need to search for the individual terms for each item. 

Once you are happy with your search, click "Search PubMed".

Adding Limiters:

Once you have made your search, you can view the results based on the search you created with MeSH terms. 

You can add additional limiters or filters to your search to narrow it to more relevant articles. 

When you initially search, you can see the filters for availability, article type, and publication date on the left hand side of the screen.

There are also additional filters. 

The additional filters would allow you to filter for more specific article types, as well as limiting the language of the articles in your search results. If your research question focuses on a specific demographic, these additional filters might be relevant to you as it allows you to limit your search by age, and sex.

You need to select SHOW and then select the filter once it appears on the left hand side. 

Accessing the Articles:

Once you have filtered your results, and have found an article you would like to read, you need to click on the title of the result.

You would then be brought to the abstract of the article. To read the full text, you would need to go to the Full Text Finder which is on the upper right hand side of the page. 

Once you click one of these links, you would be brought to the article. Be sure to check all of the options to make sure that we do not have access.

No Access?

If it initially does not appear we have access, we can usually gain access through InterLibraryLoan. If you select UB's Full Text Finder, which is the purple icon shown below.

This can bring you to the article. But if we do not have immediate access, it would bring you to the below page.

Here you would select the text shown next to the orange arrow icon.

This would bring you to a prefilled InterLibraryLoan Request Form.

You would only need to fill in your information at the bottom of the page.

Keep in mind when making requests that a request generally takes at least a working week to be fulfilled. Additional information about UB's InterLibraryLoan process can be found on this page.