Basic Searches

Word Search

1. State your research interest as specifically as possible. Shaping it as a question may help your thinking:
   Should basketball players wear mouthguards?
   
2. Identify the key concepts in your question:
   basketball; mouthguards
   
3. Enter the search words with an AND between the different concepts
   basketball AND mouthguards


4. Remember, PubMed is searching words in the article title, abstract, and subject headings. PubMed does not search the text of the complete article.

Author Name Search

Author names should be entered as: Last name(sp)1st initial2nd initial
Example: caplan dj

Note:

• No comma or periods are necessary
• Adding the second initial helps narrow the search

For more information about author searching see PubMed Quick Start

Journal Name Search

• Click the Limits tab
• Click Add Journal next to Search by Journal
• Enter the journal title or abbreviation

For more information about journal name searching see PubMed Quick Start

Single Citation Matcher

Use the Single Citation Matcher search form when you know various pieces of information about the article such as journal name, publication date, author name, or title words.

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