Objective 2. Steps in a MeSH Search: Planning

You decide to begin by performing a MeSH search for indexed (MEDLINE) records.

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Search step 1.  Outline the search concepts

The first step in any literature search is outlining the search concepts.

Copy the list of concepts and paste it into a Word document.

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MeSH Search Step 2 — Identify Limit/Filter concepts

The second step in a MeSH Search is determining which of your search concepts should be applied as limits/filters.

Are any of the following included in your list of search concepts?

• subject characteristics
  • humans (humans vs. animals)
  • females (gender)
  • adult (age)
• publication characteristics
  • phase II – IV trials, and other randomized controlled trials.
  • English-language (publication language)

If so, type the word “LIMIT” or “FILTER” next to these concepts.

You will apply limits/filters after running your initial, MeSH-based, MEDLINE search.

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MeSH Search Step 3 — Templates

If you remember or have access to a list of MeSH search templates, the third step in a MeSH search is determining whether your search fits a search template.

PubMed’s indexers add MeSH terms to PubMed records in a predictable way.  Cindy has created search templates  based on the typical indexing pattern.

At this point in the search, you will not know what subject headings or subheadings are available for the “eculizumab” or the “paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria” concepts, but you should have an idea of the type of search you want to produce.

Copy this planned search into your Word document so that you can refer to it later.

Note:  The subheadings in template 1 and 2 are broad subheadings that will also retrieve articles indexed with narrower headings when you search MEDLINE through the PubMed interface.

• • The “Adverse effects” subheading will retrieve articles indeed with the  “poisoning” and “toxicity”
  • The “etiology” subheading will retrieve articles indexed with “chemically induced”
  • The “therapy” subheading will retrieve articles indexed with the “drug therapy” subheading.