Three ways of searching MeSH terms
1. MeSH browser (entry terms and tree structure)
2. advanced search option (automatic mapping)
3. from other articles (MeSH headings)
Using the MeSH Browser
Open the Browser: Start by going to the MeSH Browser at the URL you've mentioned - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh
- Enter the Term: On the landing page, you'll find a search bar. In that search bar, type the MeSH term that you're interested in. It might be a medical condition, a treatment, a concept, or anything else that falls under MeSH's extensive thesaurus.
- Press Search: After entering the term, click the "Search" button or press Enter.
- Review the Results: You'll be shown a list of MeSH terms that match or closely match your search term. This list will contain hierarchical categories, including broader terms, narrower terms, related terms, and sometimes even a definition.
- Select a Term: Click on the specific term that suits your search. This will open a page dedicated to that term. It provides details like the term's place in the MeSH hierarchy, any related terms, its definition, and any subheadings that might be associated with it.
- Explore Subheadings: Review the subheadings, if available. Subheadings can be added to MeSH terms to provide a more specific focus on an aspect of the broader term.
- Search in PubMed: Once you have identified your MeSH term and possibly any subheadings, you can use it for more precise searching in PubMed. You can click on the link to 'Search in PubMed' which will show you all articles indexed under this MeSH term.
'Entry terms' and 'Tree hierarchy'.
To ensure that the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) term is properly related to your search term, it's crucial to check not only the 'entry terms' but also the 'tree hierarchy'. Here's how you can do it:
Entry Terms: These are synonymous or closely related terms to the MeSH term. They can provide a broader context and can help you understand the term better. To check the 'entry terms', go to the MeSH database, search for your term, and you'll find the 'entry terms' listed under it. These will give you an idea of the different contexts in which the term is used and will help confirm its relevance to your search term.
Tree Hierarchy: The 'tree hierarchy' shows how a MeSH term fits into the larger structure of MeSH terminology. It's like a family tree of terms and it gives you a sense of how your term is related to broader or narrower terms in the same field. To check the 'tree hierarchy', look at the MeSH record for your term. The 'tree hierarchy' is usually listed towards the bottom of the record. This can help you understand if your term is a part of the right 'family' of terms, so to speak, and confirm its relevance to your search term.
By checking both 'entry terms' and 'tree hierarchy', you can get a more accurate and complete understanding of your MeSH term, ensuring it's suitable for your research needs.
2. Using MeSH from Found Articles
This strategy is notably effective when you're unfamiliar with concepts like 'natural' or 'controlled'. Here's a step-by-step guide:
- Identify Relevant Article: Look for an article that pertains to your research subject from your previous searches, or one that you're already acquainted with. For instance, if your research topic is about cardiovascular diseases, you may select an article about the impacts of diet on heart health.
- Find MeSH Terms: Upon opening this article, you'll find the MeSH Terms used in its creation listed at the bottom of the page. MeSH Terms might include specific phrases like "Cardiovascular Diseases".
- Expand Term Options: To the left of each term, there's an arrow. By clicking this arrow, you'll be shown a variety of options.
- Search in PubMed: One of the options is "Search in PubMed". When you select this, the term will be added to your search history, providing the opportunity to include it into your ongoing search strategy. For example, if you chose "Search in PubMed" or "Search in MeSH" for the MeSH Term "Cardiovascular Diseases", it will be open new search results.
3. Using advanced search tab
This the way I usually used in actual research most often.
- Just Search Natural Term: Start by entering your term of interest into the search bar on the PubMed homepage. For example, if you're interested in "heart disease," you would enter that term. Then click "Search."
- Click Advanced Search: After the search results appear, you can refine and optimize your search by clicking on "Advanced" under the search bar. The Advanced Search Builder will open. Here, you can review the search details of your previous search, combine or exclude search terms, and create complex search strategies.
- Check the Search Query PubMed Built Automatically: In the Advanced Search Builder, you can check the search details of your previous query under the “Search History” section. This will show you how PubMed translated your initial natural language search into a more complex search including MeSH terms, synonyms, and more. For instance, "heart disease" may have been translated to include the MeSH term "Heart Diseases"[Mesh].
- Find the MeSH Term Assigned by PubMed: The terms with "[Mesh]" after them are MeSH terms. These are assigned by PubMed and are used to index articles so that searches on related topics will include the article in the results. You can also directly find the appropriate MeSH term by using the MeSH database linked from the PubMed homepage.
- Piriformis Muscle Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Toothache
- Depression, Postpartum
- Anxiety Disorders
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Sleep Paralysis
- Yang Deficiency
- Cupping Therapy
- Fibromyalgia
- Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Dermatitis, Atopic - Atopic Eczema
- Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal - seasonal nasal allergy
- Kidney Calculi
- Common Cold
- Influenza, Human - flu
- Migraine Disorders
- Tension-Type Headache
- Gastroesophageal Reflux
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Alopecia - hair loss
- Acne Vulgaris
- Intervertebral Disc Displacement
- Dementia