Why Search PubMed?
PubMed is the free interface for the premier biomedical database, MEDLINE. It was created & is maintained by the National Library of Medicine. PubMed contains both primary & secondary literature. Because it's a free to access, you can use it even when you leave the University of Michigan.
Articles in PubMed are indexed by MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), terms that have specific definitions within the database & help you to create more focused searches.
Running a Search
Enter your search terms, using synonyms, parentheses, & Boolean operators, in the main search bar at the top of the PubMed window, & click the Search button.
Search Results
Your results are listed on the Search Results page.
You can see that there are many results, including some that are not related to the question.
Search Tip - "Search Details"
What if your search results are not quite what you expected or they seem really off-base? Check Search Details, a box in the lower right of the Search Results page, which shows you how PubMed "translated" your search.
Click on the See more link to see how PubMed "maps" any term that you enter to MeSH terms when possible & also does a keyword search.
If at least one term for each concept in your search doesn't map to a MeSH term, you should rethink your search terms or contact the library for help.