Objective 2. Steps in a MeSH Search: Planning

Search step 1.  Outline the search concept

You’ve already complete a portion of the first step in any literature search, outlining the search concepts.  You have the following list of concepts:

PNH (Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria)

eculizumab

thrombosis

RCT (randomized controlled trial).

Copy this list and paste it into a Word document.

Search Step 2 — Limits/Filters

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 in cluded in your list of search concepts?

• subject characteristics
  • humans (humans vs. animals)
  • females (gender)
  • adult (age)
• publication characteristics
  • randomized controlled trials, practice guidelines, consensus statements (publication type)
  • 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.

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.

• • 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.