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Accessing MEDLINE
articles through National Library of Medicine's PubMed
PubMed
is a free online searchable collection of medical databases, including
(but not limited to) MEDLINE. We have access to MEDLINE through other
library databases (such as OCLC FirstSearch) but there are two reasons
you should use the PubMed database:
- It is freely available wherever you have Internet
access.
- PubMed has a "Linkout" feature that
allows you to get free full-text articles from citations if they are
available online from publishers. The MEDLINE database has no full-text
available.
Searching Pubmed
Once you have chosen search terms, the first step
in your search is to find compatible MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms.
Finding MeSH terms:
- Chose MeSH from the pull-down menu next to the
Search box and enter in ONE of your search terms, such as contact
dermatitis.
- If you see a MeSH term that's comparable to
your search term, click on the checkbox and choose "Search box
with AND" from the "Send to" list. This will enter it
as one of your search terms.
- Clear the search box and enter another term,
if applicable.
Searching PubMed with your MeSH search terms:
- Once you have chosen and entered your search
terms, you can add extra "limits" to your PubMed search.
- Choose "PubMed" from the search box
pull-down menu, and then click on the "Limits" tab.
- Under the "Publication Types" menu,
you can chose Clinical Trial, Meta-Analysis, or Randomly Controlled
Trial. You also have options for "Publication date" and
"Ages."
- When all terms are entered and all limits are
set, click "Go" next to the search box.
Interpreting results:
- PubMed will give you a list of articles relevant
to your search terms and limits.
- PubMed ususally does not carry the full-text
of an article, but it does provide links to other websites that offer
content. Click on "Links" to the right of the article title
and select "Linkout" from the pop-up menu to see available
full-text options.
- If you find an article citation but can't find
the full-text article, search the Elmhurst College Library website to
see if we carry the journal:
-
-
Search for the periodical
title in Illinet
Online. Enter the journal name in the search box, such as the
American Journal of Nursing.
- If we don't carry the journalk, you can order
the article from another library using our Request
a Copy of an Article form. It may take a while to arrive.
Other Indexing
databases (mostly citations,
some full text)
- CINAHL~
The Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health database provides
coverage of the literature related to nursing and allied health. Includes
consumer and professional-level information..Some full text (although
there is no way to limit your search to full text only in this database).
To find Evidence-Based articles
in CINAHL, limit to subset "peer-reviewed" & document type
"research"
Resources
for Citing in the APA Format
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