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PubMed Filters

Filter options appear as a left-side menu in PubMed.

Using filters can save you time by limiting results to specific citations based on time frame, publication type, language and more.

You must select (check box) a Filter to apply it. Once applied, it will remain in effect for all subsequent searches until you deselect or "Clear" it.

FILTER/LIMIT NOTES
TIME FRAME You will see at a glance the distribution of citations across time. When searching for "best evidence", it is helpful to limit your results to the last five or ten years. Use the Slide bar under Results By Year or select an option from Publication Date (1, 5, 10 Years).
ARTICLE TYPE

When searching for evidence, it can be helpful to start with Secondary Literature such as Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

For Primary Literature, used Randomized Controlled Trial or Clinical Trial.

Note: A Review article is considered to be expert opinion rather than evidence.
ARTICLE LANGUAGE Use this when you want to eliminate non-English literature, or you can select specific languages to include in your results.
ADDITIONAL FILTERS Include other ARTICLE TYPEs, LANGUAGEs, plus SPECIES, SEX, AGE . Selecting these only adds them to the Filters menu. You still to use the check box to apply it to your results.

PubMed Clinical Queries

Use Clinical Queries to find Systematic Reviews for:

  • Therapy
  • Diagnosis
  • Etiology
  • Prognosis
  • Clinical Prediction Guides

Search Syntax

AND narrows a search (more precise; fewer results retrieved)

  • use to combine distinct concepts that must all be represented in resulting articles
    • condition AND risk factor
    • condition AND population
    • heart disease AND hypertension

OR broadens a search (more inclusive; more results retrieved)

  • use to combine synonyms or related terms for a single concept
    • condition OR alternate/related condition name
    • high blood pressure OR hypertension
    • depression OR anxiety

NOT excludes unwanted terms/concepts

  • use when a specific concept provides too many unwanted results
    • condition NOT related condition
    • depression NOT anxiety

an asterisk* after a term will find all variants of that term (child* will find child, children, childhood, etc.)

use parentheses to search a group of terms as a set

  • use with OR searches to execute those independently before AND searches
    • (children OR adolescents) AND (diet OR exercise)
    • children OR adolescents AND diet OR exercise will return any article with the term "exercise".

use "quotation marks" around a phrase to search those terms only a phrase

  • "back pain" is searched as a phrase only
  • back pain is searched as (back AND pain) OR "back pain" as a phrase
  • PubMed cannot find MeSH terms for phrases in quotation marks.
    • "back pain" will be searched as the phrase "back pain" only
    • back pain will be matched to the MeSH term "back pain" and also searched as (back AND pain) as keywords. OR "back pain" as a phrase

For more about search syntax, see Cochrane Database Syntax Guide.

 

Boolean Operators

Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT