For each concept of your research question consider keywords or phrases that best represent that concept.

• Use the most specific terms that best represent the concept
• Consider similar terms or alternative forms
• Craft a search phrase using OR Boolean operator

Identify controlled vocabulary for your search concepts.

• Explore keywords and/or MeSH terms associated with literature that is most relevant to your topic
• Search subject term Thesauri (MeSH for PubMed) to identify search terms from controlled vocabularies

Medial Subject Headings (MeSH) is the controlled vocabulary used in the PubMed/MEDLINE and other NLM databases. The MeSH thesaurus is a collection of lists of subject terms arragned in hierarchical order.

There are 19 MeSH "Tree" categories that represent high-level subject areas; terms in these lists may or may not have more specific terms associated with each one; any terms indented below a terms represent a more specific concept of that term.

• Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Category +
• Anatomy Category +
• Anthropology, Education, Sociology and Social Phenomena Category +
• Check Tags Category +
• Chemicals and Drugs Category +
• Disciplines and Occupations Category +
• Diseases Category +
• Geographical Locations Category +
• Health Care Category +
• Humanities Category +
• Information Science Category +
• Organisms Category +
• Persons Category +
• Pharmacological Actions Category +
• Phenomena and Processes Category +
• Psychiatry and Psychology Category +
• Publication Type Category +
• Subheadings Category +
• Technology and Food and Beverages Category +

There are multiple ways to search for MeSH terms.

PubMed's Search Builder

• Search for one term/concept at a time
• Select the most appropriate term(s) that represent your concept
• Use the full record for any term to
  • Select appropropriate subheadings (drug therapy for example) - default is to include all subheadings
  • Restrict to Major Topic - reduces the number of results to article that focus on the concept
  • Restrict results to only the selected topic by checking Do not include MeSH terms found below this term
  • Explore Entry Terms to see what other keywords/phrases represent the concept
  • Explore the Tree to consider more specific or broader terms - this is helpful when you are getting too mnay or too few search results
• You can "Add" term selection(s) to the PubMed Search Builder as needed and then execute that search in PubMed
  • Make selections about the term (subheadings, major topic, etc.) as needed
  • "Add" to the Search Builder using AND or OR (OR is default for multiple subheading selections)

National LIbrary of Medicine (NLM) MeSH Browser

• Search using Exact Match or Fragments
• Details include Tree Structure and Subheadings (Qualifiers)

MeSH On Demand

• Provides suggested MeSH terms based on submitted text, such as an abstract
• Cut and paste a chunk of text to generate suggested MeSH terms

Yale MeSH Analyzer

• Generate a MeSH analysis grid by pasting PMID(s) to the text box and click "Go".
• It is best to use a smaller number of PMIDs - maximum of 20