Keyword Searching |
Subject Headings |
Keywords describe your topic in natural language, and can be combined in any number of ways. Keyword searching is the most common approach to beginning the research process.
|
Subject headings make-up a controlled vocabulary used by databases to describe content and organize sources. Subject headings coalesce synonyms and like terms, topics, and concepts under a single term.
|
Use AND to connect keywords and refine your search (retrieves sources with both terms)
Use OR to connect keywords and broaden your search (retrieves sources with either term)
Use NOT to exclude a word e.g., Omega-3 fatty acids NOT Fish oils
Use quotation marks to retrieve sources with a phrase in the exact order typed e.g., "Community health"
MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) is the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) controlled vocabulary. NLM is the producer of MEDLINE, which is the primary component of PubMed. MeSH terms are assigned to articles based on content. When searching PubMed, we encourage you to use MeSH, as these terms will help you target your search.
MeSH terms clarify context (topical and grammatical)
MeSH terms include synonyms and related terms
In PubMed, select MeSH from the search bar's drop-down menu, or select the MeSH Database link under More Resources to discover MeSH term(s).