pubmed-intro-to-searching

Welcome

Hello!  This step-by-step guide will show you how to navigate to PubMed via the library homepage and conduct a simple keyword search in PubMed.  The website on your right is a live webpage and will allow you to follow along with the steps in this guide.

Please forward any questions to Cort Eyer, Health Science Reference & Instruction Librarian.  

Cort Eyer

260.399.7700 EXT 6057

ceyer@sf.edu

Finding PubMed

To access PubMed, first click on the Databases A-Z link on the library homepage.

From there, find PubMed in the "P" section of the alphabetical list.

PubMed

Once inside the PubMed database, use the large Search box at the top of the screen for keyword searches. Try out a search by entering the general term "heart attack" in the field.

Use the filters on the left side of your screen to narrow your results.  Filters that can be applied include age sets, for targeted research on a specific population; publication date, in order to use only the most up-to-date research on a topic; and article type, for finding clinical trials or systematic reviews related to a topic.

Discussion

Now that we've completed a sample search in PubMed, search for articles on your research topic.  After conducting a few searches using different keywords, post your reactions to the "Searching PubMed" forum on the Discussion Board.  While searching, think about the handouts on Boolean Searching and Truncation and how these tips might improve a search.

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