PubMed: MeSH Terms

Review or download the tutorial below for steps on how to use MeSH terms.

1. Access PubMed via the library's website.

2. To access the MeSH database, click "MeSH Database" under "Explore."

3. Type in a term and click "Search."

4. From the results list, click on the one most relevant to what you are researching.

5. This will take you to a term detail page that defines the term and provides the date a term was introduced.

You do not need to check any of the subheadings listed below the main term for standard searches. They are best used only infrequently, in unusual cases, due to their unreliability.

6. At the bottom of the page in the "See Also" section it will show you where the term falls within the hierarchy of categories.

7. When you find terms you want to use to search in PubMed, click "Add to search builder" under the "PubMed Search Builder" box. When you're finished building a search, click "Search PubMed."

8. This will kick you back to the PubMed database. Notice below how the search builder incorporated the MeSH terms into a database search.