MEDLINE
About MEDLINE
MEDLINE covers the international literature on biomedicine, including the
allied health fields and the biological and physical sciences, humanities,
and information science as they relate to medicine and health care.
MEDLINE covers 1966 to the present. MEDLINE is produced by the National
Library of Medicine.
Searching MEDLINE
There are several interfaces available for searching Medline; Telnet (text only, no graphics), Windows and World Wide Web (WWW). This guide provides an overview of the Medline database. Commands may differ between interfaces. Use this guide with the
Windows,
WWW, or
Telnet
Quick Guide for instructions specific to the method you are using.
The most commonly used search commands in MEDLINE are subject,
textword (keyword), and author.
MEDLINE uses Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), a specific list of terms, to arrange
journal articles by topic. OVID software will usually offer you a choice of several
MeSH terms related to your topic. Always try to use the most specific MeSH term you
can find.
Mapping
This screen only appears when your term has more than one possible subject heading
match. Mapping is the process used by Medline to match the word or phrase you
enter to existing MeSH terms. You may choose one of the terms listed, or switch to a
Textword or Keyword search.
Broader and Narrower Subject Headings
Broader and narrower terms related terms appear with your subject. You may continue
with your original topic or switch to a different topic.
Restricting to Focus
Choose all documents discussing that subject or restrict to focus (where the subject is on of the primary topics).
Subheadings
Subheadings let you find articles on specific aspects of your topic. You may include all subheadings, or you may select one or more subheadings by highlighting each desired term.
Searching by Textword (Keyword)
Keyword searching in Medline lets you find publications containing a specific word or
phrase in the title or abstract (short summary of the article contents). Not all
records in Medline contain abstracts.
Author Searching
Author searching lets you find publications by a specific person. Medline uses only initials for first and middle names,. Compound last names are included (e.g. Smith-Thomas) as are some honorifics (e.g. Jr, Sr, II).
Other Types of Searching
Other kinds of searching are also available. Most parts of Medline
records can be searched . These types of searching are done by using the
Search menu (Windows and Telnet) or Search Fields (WWW)
menu. Additional search tips are available in the library and on the WWW:
http://www.medlib.iupui.edu/ref/ovidtips.html.
Combining Sets
Once at least two sets have been
created, use the Combine command to decrease or increase your
retrieval. Select the sets to be combined. Select AND to
narrow your search (all search terms must be included in each
article); use OR to expand your search (at least on of the
search terms will appear in each article).
Limiting a Search
Limiting lets you restrict your set in ways unrelated to the subject content
(e.g. human subjects, English language, review articles)
Viewing/Displaying a Set
The View or
Display command lets you retrieve the records collected by your
search. Medline contains only references to literature, not the full
article. However, if the full text is available in the Core Biomedical
Collection, the individual record will have a message attached to alert you.
Printing/Downloading
See the separate
Printing/Downloading guide (Telnet, Windows, WWW) for
instructions.
Changing Databases
This allows your to change to another database such as CINAHL
(Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied
Health Literature) or HealthSTAR (Health Services,
Technology, Administration, and Research).
It is possible to repeat an existing search strategy in a new
database without re-entering all of the terms.
No Results? Not all databases use the same terminology;
try related terms.
Ending Your Search Session
Please Exit or Logoff when you are finished searching.
Need More Help?
Training
To register for classes or for more information:
Reference Department
(317) 274-7185 Voice
(317) 274-4056 FAX
e-mail to:medlref@iupui.edu
or Register Online
Help Available
In addition to the on-screen help in the OVID databases, librarians are available in the Reference Department to assist you Monday through Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm. Holiday hours may vary. Phone: (317) 274-7185
Searching MEDLINE / compiled by:
Sue London / slondon@iupui.edu / Ruth Lilly
Medical Library / Indiana University School of Medicine
URL: http://www.medlib.iupui.edu/ref/medl.html