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PubMed - Available after you Graduate!

PubMed Default Search

PubMed has a single search box.  Because this database is so large, you may be overwhelmed with results initially.  Both the Filters and the Best Match sort option are helpful options for narrowing your results.

Screenshot of PubMed results list indicating: "Try filters or Best Match or use both when you have a large results set"

Getting the Full Text in PubMed

In PubMed, you must click on the article title and go in the full record to see the Find It link for full text options.  If you need a reminder of how to use the Find It link, please see the Full Text Linking tab.

Screenshot of PubMed result indicating: "In PubMed, click on the article's title to see the Find It link on the right-hand side of the screen." Also stating, "You may see a Publisher's link.  Look out, they may want you to buy the article.  Unless the Publisher's link says Free, select Find It."

PubMed's Advanced Search

PubMed's Advanced Search looks different from many databases.  You must use the center Builder area to build your Advanced Search.  In the Advanced Search each row stands for a different concept.  Please see the linked document below for a reminder of creating an Advanced Search.

As with other databases, you can use the Title option to have your keywords searched only in the title, making the results more likely to be on-topic.  Notice while you're building your search that PubMed is creating the search in the top box.

Screenshot of PubMed's Advanced Search builder indicating: "Use the center Builder area to enter your search terms" and "As you're entering your search terms, PubMed builds your search in the top box" and "Consider using the drop-down menu and having your keywords searched in the Title rather than All Fields if you were initially overwhelmed with results"

 

Retrieving Citation Information for PubMed Results

Easy Option 1: 

  1. In PubMed, make sure you've clicked on the article title to be in the full record, and then click on Find It
  2. Select the option for Web Search to search Google Scholar

Screenshot of Find It linking screen indicating "Select Web Search to look up the article in Google Scholar"

  1. Once in Google Scholar, click on the quote mark for the article you're using, and this will pull up suggested citations.  The citation will likely need some changes to be correct; however, it gives you a start.

Screenshot of Google Scholar result indicating: "Click on the quote mark and then copy and paste the suggested citation into your document.  Be sure to double check the citation for accuracy!!!"

  1. Google Scholar never seems to capture the article's doi, but return to PubMed and copy and paste the doi into your citation.

Return to the article record in PubMed and copy and paste the article's doi into your citation

Option 2:

In PubMed, use the Send to option.  The easiest thing to do is select Send to, and then select File.  The file type that is easiest to work with is Summary (text).  You will then click on Create File, and a Notepad (text) file with a citation will be generated.  Open the Notepad file, and update the citation to the desired citation style, such as APA.  The default citation style from PubMed is National Library of Medicine (NLM), not APA!!

Screenshot of Send to option with step-by-step directions: 1) Click on Send to 2) Select File 3) Select Summary (text) 4) Click on Create File 5) A NLM style citation will appear in Notepad 6) Update citation to desired style