Time-Saving Techniques with PubMed

Instructor:
Date:

Workshop Description: The training session will introduce and describe basic searching
features and time-saving techniques with PubMed. The hands-on session consists of a live
demonstration, in-class exercises, and a question and answer period.

Key Learning Objectives: By the end of the PubMed MEDLINE workshop, you will be
able to:

1. Describe and access PubMed MEDLINE

2. Perform basic keyword, author, and journal title searches
3. Apply limits such as year/date of publication
4. Verify a citation using the Single Citation Matcher or Advanced Search
5. Describe My NCBI, a tool for saving searches and setting up e-mail
alerts

Agenda:
 Introduction
 PubMed Demonstration
 In-Class Exercises (Hands-On Practice)
 Q&A
 Wrap-Up & Assessment

Additional Resources:

Free PubMed Online Tutorials, including brief animated tutorials with audio:
 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/disted/pubmed.html

Created by Deborah Charbonneau, Librarian

Wayne State University
Shiffman Medical Library

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 Time-Saving Techniques with PubMed

1) Start at www.lib.wayne.edu/shiffman, select “PubMed@Wayne”

2) Formulating a Search Strategy

a. Identify searchable concepts: flu, vaccine, shortage, distribution, high-risk, supply &
distribution, economics
b. Find alternate words to represent concepts: flu, influenza, acute viral infections
c. Additional information: English language only? Last 90 days?

3) Starting a Search in PubMed: Simple Subject Search

a. Begin your search: Paxil depression (AND is the default)
b. Add additional concepts to refine search: pregnancy, complications, birth
defects, etc.
c. Apply limits: use “Limits” tab
d. Limits: languages, publication types, publication date, human, age groups,
etc.
e. Using OR, NOT: Paxil OR Paroxetine
f. Truncation: child* diagnos*

4) Working with Search Results

a. Search results screen
b. Looking at the record
b. Display format: change to abstract, citation display, etc. (note: PMID & PMCID)
c. Select relevant citations (check box)
d. Send to: Clipboard, file, email, printer, order, RSS feed, etc.
e. Methods for obtaining documents; including “Article Linker”
f. Related Articles feature and My NCBI

5) Other Types of Searches: Single Citation Matcher and Advanced Search

a. Author search: Jones KP
b. Journal title/abbreviation: Allergy (Note: can search by full journal name or
abbreviation; Journal of the American Medical Association or JAMA)
c. Single Citation Matcher or Advanced Search: (Author: Jones KP, Journal:
Allergy)
d. Phrase Searching: “jet lag”

6) PubMed Beyond the Basics: MeSH Database

a. Type in concept: falls
b. Add another concept to search: aged
c. Add a subheading: statistics and numerical data

7) Tools: Help, FAQ, Tutorials, and My NCBI - Saving Searches & Medline Updates
a. Save your searches and set up e-mail alerts so that you can have current, relevant
citations pushed to your desktop.
b. Saving searches, Automatic e-mail updates, setting up filters

8) Wrap Up & Class Exercises

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Class Exercises

Start at www.lib.wayne.edu/shiffman, select “PubMed@Wayne”

1) Find articles by Suzanne R. White

a. What ways can you search for references to articles by this author?
b. Try limiting to articles published within the last 2 years.

2) Find references to articles published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

a. What ways can you search for articles published in this journal?
b. Try limiting to review articles (publication type) published in the last 90
days.

3) Find references to articles about smoking and teens.

a. What are the main concepts?

b. What other terms can you think of to represent teens?
c. Try applying limits such as review articles (publication type), English
language only and articles published in the last two years.
d. Use the Related Articles feature to find similar articles.

4) Using the Single Citation Matcher, verify a citation for an article published by W.
Sakr in 2004. One of the words in the article title was Detroit.

5) Using the advanced search, verify a citation for an article published by W. Sakr
in 2004. One of the words in the article title was Detroit.

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 Time-Saving Techniques with PubMed
Instructor:
Date:

Self-Assessment

Instructions: On a scale of 1-5, please rate your ability to do the following tasks. Your
responses will help you to identify what you have learned as a result of this workshop.

Four Key Skills (please circle)

Objective 1 2 3 4 5
I don’t know I think I can I’m sure
how I can

1). I can access 1 2 3 4 5

PubMed MEDLINE

2). I can perform basic 1 2 3 4 5

keyword, author, and
journal title searches

3). I can limit results by 1 2 3 4 5

year (I can find articles
published within the
last 2 years, etc.)

4). I can verify a 1 2 3 4 5

citation using the Single
Citation Matcher or
Advanced Search

Thank you!