PubMed

The Basic Search in PubMed allows you to locate articles quickly. Search terms can be entered in the main search box on the PubMed site, as well as commands.

Use the link below to access a short, interactive tutorial on basic searching in PubMed. Tutorial created by the National Library of Medicine. 

How do I find articles by topic in PubMed?

1. State your research question:
   • Is exercise safe during pregnancy? 
2. Identify your keywords:
   • Exercise
   • Pregnancy 
3. Type your keywords in the search box, separating the words with "and":
   • exercise AND pregnancy 

The results are considered to be a topic search. PubMed will search for the keywords you entered and find them in the article title, abstract, and subject headings. PubMed does not search the full text of an article.

The most relevant articles, as suggested by PubMed, are displayed first. Click on the article title for more information. You can also sort the display settings to view articles by recency. 

How do I find articles by author in PubMed?

Enter the author's name in the following format: Author's Last Name Initials.

Example: Davenport MH

Please note that:

• Periods or commas should not be used
• Adding a second initial (H, in the example of Davenport MH) can help focus the search on a particular individual. However, this could exclude articles published that only include the first initial (such as Davenport M).
• Searching with the full first name spelled out is not recommended, though this can sometimes generate results. 
• This can be used in advanced or regular search boxes.

How do I find articles by journal in PubMed?

1. Go to advanced search and select Journal from the menu on the left side.
2. Begin typing the name of the journal and recommendations should appear below the search box.
3. Choose the journal you want from the recommendations list and click Add to put the Journal name into the Query (or Search) box.
4. Continue your search as desired.

How do I find articles by citation in PubMed?

When you know some article information such as journal name, publication date, author name, title, page numbers, etc., use the Single Citation Matcher form located on the main PubMed homepage. This is similar to an advanced search, but should be more targeted to a known item. 

Enter the information you have available. Typically, articles can be found with two or three entries. Author Name and First Page are often good options to try.