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Life Sciences

This is a guide for life sciences at Arizona State University.

PubMed Search: In-class Exercise

Learning Outcomes

Students will know how to:

  1. Find PubMed in ASU Research Databases
  2. Search for Review Articles and Primary Articles in PubM
  3. Use search connectors (Boolean operators) to expand or narrow a search
  4. Find the full-text of an article when searching PubMed

Using Connectors (Boolean Operators)

Tutorial on Search Connectors (Boolean Operators)

Connectors, or Boolean Operators are "AND", "OR", or "NOT."  These words are used in combination to find the articles you want. View this tutorial to find out how to use the connectors to broaden or narrow your search.

PubMed vs Medline

Search PubMed or ProQuest Medline

Search "millions of journal citations and abstracts in ...medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary science, etc...."

PubMed is the public database provided by the National Library of Medicine and ProQuest Medline is a proprietary search engine. Both databases are built from the same basic data; however, search results will differ.

 

Searching for Review Articles in PubMed

Finding Review Articles in PubMed is easy. Review is a default limit and now shows up on all your searches in PubMed automatically. Look to the left side  below "Article Types" you can select Review.

Primary vs Secondary Articles

Tutorial on Primary Research Articles - If you are unclear about exactly what a primary (also known as Empirical) article is, view this tutorial.

Tutorial on Peer-Reviewed Journals - Learn the characteristics of Peer-Reviewed or Refereed journals.

Searching for Primary Journal Articles

In PubMed, there is no specific designation or limit for "Primary Research Articles" like there is for "Review Articles." 

However, you can find primary research articles by combining some of the following search terms with your keywords and with the "AND" connector:

  • Studies
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Trials

You can also scan journal titles and abstracts and look for the sections that tell you the article is a primary research article. Primary Research articles have the following sections:

  • Materials and Methods section
  • Results section
  • The presence of charts or graphs presenting data

Finding the Full Text of an Abstract in PubMed

The Getit!@ASU link shows up when you click on each citation in the results. For more information on finding full-text , see the tutorial on using Getit!@ASU.

Additionally, LinkOut, located under each abstract, takes you to articles that ASU has purchased through subscription databases, as well as free articles provided by PubMed. Click on LinkOut and then click on the databases listed there to go to the full-text record.  Usually the PDF or html is located on the right hand margin of the record.

Citation Guides

Council of Biology Editors Style Manual Committee. Scientific Style and Format: the CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. 6th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
QH 304 .C33 1994 (ASU Library Catalog Record)

ASM Style Manual for Journals and Books. Washington, D.C.: American Society for Microbiology, 1991.
QR 11 .A44x (Noble Science Only - ASU Library Catalog Record)


Author's Guide to Biomedical Journals: Complete Manuscript Submission Instructions for 235 Leading Biomedical Periodicals. 2nd ed. Larchmont NY: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 1996.
R119 .A97 1996 (ASU Library Catalog Record)

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