PubMed

PubMed is a free online database that offers access to biomedical literature citations. It contains approximately 17 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science publications dating back to the 1950s, as well as links to full-text articles and other scientific resources. The PMID (PubMed Identifier), a set of numbers assigned to each citation for easy reference and search, is used to index these citations.

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Features and Functionality

The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health manages PubMed (NIH). The database provides a variety of features and capabilities to help research, including:

Users can conduct an advanced search by combining multiple search variables, including author, title, journal, and publication date, among others.

• Search Filters: Filters such as article type, publication date, language, species, and age group can be used to narrow search results.
• The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) database permits users to search for articles employing standardized medical terminology. MeSH words aid in enhancing the precision and relevancy of search results.
• My NCBI allows users to customize their search options, store searches, and set up automated email alerts for specific search terms.
• LinkOut is a PubMed feature that connects users to external websites and resources, such as publisher websites, institutional repositories, and open access archives.

Importance of PubMed

PubMed is vital to the biomedical research community because it provides the following advantages:

• PubMed provides academics and professionals with access to a vast library of biomedical literature through its comprehensive coverage of life science journals.
• The usage of MeSH words ensures that search results are consistent and relevant, making it easier for users to locate the information they require.
• PubMed is freely accessible to anybody with an internet connection, allowing researchers, healthcare professionals, and the general public to gain free access to vital biological information.
• Regular Updates: PubMed is updated every day to ensure that users have access to the most recent research findings and biomedical field developments.

Restrictions and Obstacles

Despite its many benefits, PubMed has a number of restrictions and obstacles:

• Full-Text Access: While PubMed provides free access to citations and abstracts, full-text publications may need a subscription or payment, depending on the publisher's policy.
• Publishing Bias: PubMed typically indexes articles from peer-reviewed journals, which may result in a publication bias in favor of positive or noteworthy findings. This can potentially bias the database's depiction of study outcomes.
• Complexity of Search: Although MeSH terms improve search precision, users may need to spend time learning how to utilize them successfully, especially when undertaking exhaustive literature searches.

Summary

PubMed provides access to citations from biomedical literature. It includes over 17 million citations from MEDLINE and other life science journals for biomedical articles back to the 1950s, along with links to full text articles and other scientific resources. These citations are indexed with a PMID, a series of numbers

External links

• PubMed search tags & field qualifiers

PubMed Resources
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