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Using PubMed for Research

Learn to use our version of Pubmed to seach Medline to find medical, veterinary, sportsmedicine and nutritional articles

About Pubmed

Journals in hard copy stacked on top of each otherPubMed lets you search millions of journal citations and abstracts in the fields of medicine and supporting disciplines. It is therefore useful in searching for veterinary, nutritional and sports medicine literature. It includes access to MEDLINE® and to citations for selected articles in life science journals not included in MEDLINE. PubMed also provides access to additional relevant Web sites and links to the other NCBI molecular biology resources.

The Library's version of PubMed will help you get the maximum benefit from our paid subscriptions. Get to our version by:

  • clicking on the tab in this guide titled "Start up OUR VERSION of PubMed"
  • or by going to PubMed from our Database Pages.

Basic Searching

Basic searching in PubMed:

1. Type your search terms in the search box → click on SEARCH. As you type your search, some of the most popular PubMed searches will be displayed. If you like, you can click one of these suggested searches.

PubMed basic search for angioplasty

 

2. After you do the search, you then get a list of results. Click on FORMAT → ABSTRACT to change the results display settings.

Select ABSTRACT from the FORMAT drop down options.

 

3. The Library's FIND IT! button now appears after the abstract of each result.

  • If FREE FULL TEXT is indicated → click on that option before trying the FIND IT! button. (Be sure the word FREE is there.)
  • If there is no indication of free full text → click on the FIND IT! button. (See further below in this guide for more information about FIND IT!)

The "Find It" button and other access options at the end of each abstract when results are displayed using FORMAT: ABSTRACT.

 

For help with other searches in PubMed, see the "Complex Searching" page in this guide.

Using Find It!

When you click on FIND IT! ...

FIND IT! will connect you to OneSearch, and OneSearch will present VIEW IT or GET IT options for the full text article.

  • VIEW IT indicates an online item.
  • GET IT can indicate a physical item. (Review the GET IT results carefully. Compare with the article's bibliographic information, especially the article's year of publication, and volume and/or issue numbers.)

VIEW IT option in OneSearch pointing to full text in an online resource.

GET IT option in OneSearch pointing to a physical resource in the library.

Please check OneSearch before requesting an item from Document Delivery.

If we do not have the item, OneSearch may provide you with a GET IT link to request the item through DOCUMENT DELIVERY.

 

If you don't see a GET IT link in OneSearch, you can make the request through DOCUMENT DELIVERY under SERVICES & HELP at the library's web site.

DOCUMENT DELIVERY service, under SERVICES & HELP at the library's web site.