PubMed's Video Tutorials

Need some answers for how-to's with PubMed, but the librarian isn't available to help? Then you should check out online tutorials put together by the folks at the National Library of Medicine who run PubMed's content.

On PubMed's homepage, select the PubMed Tutorials link under the Using PubMed section below the search box. That will take you to a collection of "Quick Tours", which are narrated tutorials.

Good to know that there are multiple sources of help out there for how to efficectively use PubMed.

Use RefGrab-It to Download your PubMed Results

If you've used a citation software, like RefWorks, you know that it takes a few steps to get a citation from PubMed into your citation software. It's a multi-step process that requires saving your citations in PubMed first as a text file before importing into RefWorks or EndNote.

Click this link to see this traditional method.

BUT if you have a RefWorks account, you can actually use the RefGrab-It feature to capture citations in PubMed. This allows you to completely by-pass the traditional method of saving a text file before importing.

You can do this one citation at a time, or as I prefer, if you have several citations, send them to the Clipboard in PubMed and then use RefGrab-It to import into RefWorks.

Watch this narrated video to see how.

PubMed Quick Tip #14: Creating a Permanent Link to Search Results

Let's say you want to generate a URL to get you straight to a set of PubMed results from a search you ran. Why would this be useful?

- Instead of telling someone to copy and paste a search phrase you searched in PubMed, you can provide them a direct link to the results

- You want to have a link, to say all the papers you've published that are in PubMed, available on a personal or departmental website

Here's how you can create a permanent link to your PubMed results:

(1) Run your search in PubMed

(2) On the results page, scroll down to the lower part of the right-hand margin, and select the See more... link under the Search details section

(3) Select the URL button

(4) Copy and paste the URL that appears at the top of your browser screen

EXTRA TIP:
Since the URL generated is rather long, you can shorten it, if you like, before you send it to someone, by using a tool that will generate a shorter URL (for example tinyurl.com)

PubMed Quick Tip #13: Creating Results Filters

If you've ever been overwhelmed by the loads and loads of results you may get from a PubMed search, there's a trick to make it a pain-free experience to review your search results.

Creating Filters will allow you to very quickly skim through your search results to look for some highly relevent papers.

Watch this non-narrated quick video below to see how to set up filters for higher levels of evidence literature

Here's how:

(1) Sign into your MyNCBI account. (If you don't have one, register for one for free at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/register)

(2) Click on the MyNCBI link at the top right of PubMed

(3) Select the Search Filters link in the left menu bar

(4) Select the PubMed listing under the Choose a database section at the bottom of the page

(5) Click on the Search for Filters tab

(6) Search each one of these following terms and check the corresponding box in front of each listing (meta-analysis, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trial, clinical trial, review)

To see the filters in action, run a search in PubMed (after signing into your MyNCBI account) and in the right menu of the results page will be the filters that you set up, allowing you to easily jump to just those types of papers in the results.

EXTRA TIP

You can add up to 15 filters. There are interesting options to explore if you go back to searching filters (see steps 5 & 6 above). For example, you can search on Qualitative to add filters for qualitative research.

PubMed Quick Tip #12: Running an Author Search

The new PubMed interface makes it easier to directly search for an author's publications.

(1) Under the Advanced Search link to the right above the search box, scroll down to the "Search by Author, Journal, Publications Date, and more" section

(2) On the first line that defaults to the "Author" search, begin to type in the author's last name

(3) Choose amongst the auto-suggest list that appears as you type

(4) Click on the "Search" button

NOTE:

To ensure that you retrieve the author's most recent and all publications prior to 2002, select the listing with the Last Name First Initials format (rather than the one listing the Last Name Full Name spelled out - that one only retrieves publications after 2002)

For other alternative ways to search for an author, watch this narrated PubMed tutorial.

PubMed Quick Tip #11: Exporting Citations to Bibliographic Software

With the new PubMed interface, there are a few things to note for how to export citations into bibliographic software such as RefWorks or EndNote.

The basic steps are generally the same as with the old PubMed interface. Here's a quick run down of what to do.

(1) Select the box(es) of the citations you want to export

(2) Under the "Send to:" dropdown menu, on the upper right of the results list, select "File"

(3) Under the "Format" dropdown menu, choose "MEDLINE"

(4) Select "Create File"

(5) Save the file to your Desktop

(6) Import the file into your bibliographic software (ie, RefWork or EndNote)

View PubMed's narrated tutorial showing you how to do this.

Navigating PubMed's New Interface

PubMed has gotten a facelift as of Oct. 27, 2009. With this sudden jolt, it may initially feel as if someone's gone into your house and re-arranged all your furniture and left you to figure out where everything now is.

Not to worry. Here are a few basic pointers to get you oriented:

The key items in the left blue menu bar of the old PubMed are now below the big image on PubMed's homepage.

Helpful key features in that section are:

(a) Single Citation Matcher - enter information to get directly to the article's abstract

(b) Clinical Queries - quickly find clinically relevant articles

(c) MeSH Database - find the terminology, medical subject headings (MeSH), that PubMed uses to index articles

(d) Journals Database - find journals on specific topics and detailed information about the journals

The Limits, History, and Clipboard tabs that were on the old PubMed no longer exist as tabs. They are now found under the Advanced Search link to the right of the search box.

For example, when you run a search and get to the results, click on the Advanced Search link to see:

(a) Search History - archives your searches for the next eight hours

(b) Search option boxes you can fill out to refine or run another search

(c) Limits - narrow your results by such factors as Type of Article, Age, Gender, Language

When viewing an abstract:

(a) Select the Display Settings link on the left above the abstract to view other formats of the abstract

(b) To send items to the Clipboard, check the box of the articles you want, and select the Send to link to the right above the results and select the Clipboard option

(c) A Clipboard icon appears when you've sent items to the Clipboard. You can save, email, or print those items.

View this short non-narrated tutorial that demonstrates the features described above.

The National Library of Medicine has made tutorials that show you through more detailed examples of how to use the new PubMed interface. These are located on PubMed's homepage, in the white space below, listed as PubMed Tutorials under the Using PubMed section.

Feel free to comment to this posting if you feel strongly one way or another about the new PubMed interface changes.

PubMed Quick Tip #10

Did you know that PubMed can help you quickly find the commercial and generic names of a drug, as well as its drug classification? Well, it can!

(1) Connect to the MeSH Database in the blue left margin of PubMed

(2) Type in the name of a drug (ie, Tylenol)

(3) The MeSH database result for your search should bring up the drug information (ie, Acetaminophen is the listed result when I typed in Tylenol)

(4) Scroll further down the page, and below the Entry Terms section are the synonyms for the drug.

(5) Scroll to the very bottom of the record to see the drug classification that the substance falls under (ie, Acetanilides)

(6) If you click on that drug classification, you will get a listing of other drugs in that same family
For example:

So the next time you're near a computer and need quick access to general drug definition and classification, remember to look it up in the MeSH Database!

PubMed Quick Tip #9

Ever wonder how you can create an permanent HTML link that takes you to the results of a particular PubMed search?

Here's how:

(1) Run a PubMed search
(2) Select the Details tab below the search box
(3) Select the URL button in the middle of the Details page
(4) Copy the URL generated at the top of the page in the web address box
(5) Paste the URL into a website, wiki, email, document - anywhere you'd want to have it available

When you click on the link generated, you will always be taken to the results of that search in PubMed. This is a handy trick, if say, you want a link on a website you are maintaining, that takes you to all of the publications by David Irby that are listed in PubMed.

This non-narrated quick video tutorial shows you how.

PubMed Quick Tip #8

Ever used the Sort by feature in PubMed? This much overlooked feature can actually prove quite handy when viewing a set of search results.

Results are displayed with the most recently published articles at the top of your results. You can re-sort the results to see if you can find out any additional information that migh be helpful.

For example:

- if you re-sorted the results by Author, you might find what authors publish more often on a certain topic

- if you re-sorted by Journal, you can see which publications come up multiple times. This can help you decide where you might want to publish your research in this related field or what other journals you should consider searching for more information.

View this short video demo

PubMed Quick Tip #7

When viewing an abstract in PubMed, you can reveal the MeSH (medical subject heading) terms assigned to that article. Knowing these MeSH terms can help you find other search terms to use that can improve your search strategy.

(1) Change the abstract's display to CITATION

(2) The MeSH terms will appear below the abstract. (If the article was recently published, the MeSH terms may not have been assigned yet, but will be assigned shortly after publication.)

(3) If you are not sure what a MeSH term means, you can click on the MeSH term to see its definition. Select the "MeSH" that appears in a pop-up box. You will be taken to the MeSH database to see the definition.

PubMed Quick Tip #6

Using PubMed's Journals Database to Find Journals on a Specific Topic

PubMed has a Journals Database that allows you to search for journal titles that relate to a topic that you find interesting. This can be a helpful way to learn of what journals are in your field that you were not aware of.

1) Select the Journals Database link in the left menu of PubMed

2) Type in a topic

3) If there is a long list of journals on your topic, you can use the Limits tab to narrow the results

PubMed Quick Tip #5

Using the Clipboard feature to Email Multiple Citations from PubMed

Here's a way to gather interesting articles that you've found along the way during a PubMed searching session:

1. Check the box in front of the article(s) listed that you want to "clip"
2. From the Send to dropdown menu, select Clipboard option
3. As you find other interesting articles from your searches, select those and also send to the clipboard
4. When you are ready to email your clipboard items, click on the Clipboard tab
5. From the Send to dropdown menu, select E-mail
   
6. You will be prompted to enter the email address you want these citations to be mailed to for you to review later

PubMed Quick Tip #4

How to view the latest issue of a journal online


Instead of going to several publisher's websites(ie, http://jama.com or http://nejm.com), to view the latest issues online, you can view the latest journal issue using PubMed's Single Citation Matcher.

1. Link to Single Citation Matcher in the left menu bar of PubMed
2. Begin typing in the journal name and select the appropriate listing to auto-complete the title
3. Click "Go"
4. The latest articles will be listed at the top of the results list

PubMed Clinical Queries

Ever wish there was a quick way to find good evidence-based clinical medicine articles in PubMed? There is a great PubMed feature called Clinical Queries that can help you do just that. There is a link to it in the left menu bar of PubMed.

Clinical Queries allows you to find articles that relate to one of the following clinical study categories:
- etiology - diagnosis - therapy - prognosis
- clinical prediction guidelines
- systematic reviews

You can also use the Limits tab to further narrow and focus your search results.

View this brief video to see a demonstration of how to search PubMed Clinical Queries.

Super Searching Website

I've put together a website called Super Searching that summarizes not only the basics of literature searching, but also covers advanced literature searching skills.

Features to explore:

• PubMed searching
• Citation tracking
• Tidbits - currently a collection of suggested PubMed search terms that relate to medical education research

There are links to video demonstrations of what is being described, so be sure to check those out.

Soon to be added will be tips on how to search specific education databases for more literature that you can find about teaching and learning in the broader scope of education that is outside of medical education.

PubMed Quick Tip #3

How to find what articles an author has published


Using the PubMed Single Citation Matcher is a fast way to find the publications that are in PubMed by a particular author.

1. Connect to the Single Citation Matcher feature in the left menu bar of PubMed


2. Begin to type in the author's last name and then first initial


3. A list of possible authors to choose from will appear


4. Select the author that you are looking for and run the search

The example below is how we can search for articles in PubMed published by J.M. Bishop

The results cannot be guaranteed to be the full listing of the author's publications, but it sure is a fast way to get to a good list of an author's publications listed in PubMed.

Saving a Search in PubMed

Once you've formulated a search that is giving you a good set of results related to your topic, you definitely want to save it so that you don't have to recreate the search from scratch each time you go to PubMed.

PubMed has an online tutorial to show you how.

The Library also has some quick tutorials demonstrating how to save a search using RSS Feeds:

PubMed RSS Feeds - Learn how to save a PubMed search so that you can view updates at any time.

Firefox Live Bookmarks - Learn a convenient way to view RSS updates in a Firefox browser.

How to Subscribe to a Journal's Table of Contents Using PubMed

It's super convenient to have PubMed email you the latest table of contents of a journal that you want to track. This beats going to the publisher's site every month to check on what's in the latest issue.

Follow these quick steps:

(1) Connect to the Single Citation Matcher link in the left menu bar of PubMed

(2) Start to type in the journal title you want to track & select the title that matches & hit "Go"

(3) On the next screen, click on the Save Search link that's to the right of the search box

(4) Sign into your My NCBI account (you can set one up for free under Register)

(5) Select Yes to receive email updates

(6) Set the Maximum number of records to send to 100

PubMed Quick Tip #2

How to Find MeSH terms Assigned to a Particular Article

Every article in PubMed is assigned MeSH (medical subject heading) terms to help classify the topics of a paper.

Knowing the MeSH terms assigned to an article you are interested in can help you refine your search.

Select the Citation Display of an abstract that you find interesting. MeSH terms will appear below the abstract