MEDLINE records contain a powerful tool for subject searching: ⌡Medical Subject Headings≡, or ⌡MeSH≡. These are in the ⌡MESH≡ field in MEDLINE on SilverPlatter. Search ⌡in mesh≡ to retrieve all MESH headings, and ⌡in mjme≡ to retrieve major headings only.
When an article is indexed for MEDLINE, the indexer at NLM assigns several single- or multi-word terms for the most specific concepts covered in the article. These terms, or MeSH headings, are selected from the NLM authority list for subject analysis of the biomedical literature.
MeSH headings are powerful searching tools. They locate documents by assigned controlled vocabulary, not free text words, and are independent of the occurrence of specific words in any other field.
For example, the search ⌡hypertension in mesh≡ retrieves all documents about that topic, although the word hypertension may not appear in the title or abstract. MeSH headings help you focus your search and eliminate out-of-context occurrences.
⌡Subheadings≡
Indexers often attach ⌡subheadings≡ to a MeSH heading to describe the topic more specifically. Examples of subheadings are: diagnosis; drug effects; therapy.
The ⌡MeSH≡ field contains all of the MeSH headings that are in the record. Headings preceded by an asterisk (*) are ⌡major headings≡, which represent the central concepts of the article. Searching ⌡in mjme≡ limits your search to articles in which your topic is a focal point, while searching ⌡in mesh≡ retrieves all articles about the topic.
⌡Using Hyphenated MeSH Headings≡
The MeSH headings have been hyphenated for more efficient searching. Headings can be searched either as hyphenated, "bound" phrases or as individual words. The most efficient way to search a multiword heading phrase is with hyphens, e.g. ⌡breast-feeding in mesh≡.
Use the ⌡Browse Index≡ command, in the ⌡Search≡ menu, for the exact form of a heading.
⌡Searching Subheadings≡
To search a heading with one particular subheading, hyphenate the entire heading, e.g. ⌡alcoholism-pathology in mjme≡. Truncate with * to retrieve a heading with all possible subheadings, e.g. ⌡genetic-code* in mesh≡. For example, if you are interested in all aspects of a disease, use *, e.g. ⌡alzheimers-disease* in mesh≡. If you are interested only in a particular aspect, use the appropriate subheading, e.g. ⌡alzheimers-disease-drug-therapy≡.
⌡Single Word Headings≡
To limit your search to a single-word MeSH heading only, add a hyphen at the end. For example, ⌡heart in mesh≡ retrieves records with the headings ⌡heart≡, ⌡heart-arrest≡, ⌡heart-diseases≡, etc. To limit the search to the single-word heading ⌡heart≡, search for ⌡heart- in mesh≡.
Three printed publications list the MeSH headings in three different arrangements. These publications can help you find the appropriate MeSH headings for your topic.
⌡Medical Subject Headings, Annotated Alphabetic List≡ contains the MeSH headings in alphabetical order. The entry for each term refers you to related terms to consider when searching.
In ⌡Medical Subject Headings, Tree Structures≡, the MeSH headings are arranged by subject category. Within each category, terms are arranged hierarchichally from the most general to the most specific.
The ⌡Permuted Medical Subject Headings≡ lists the headings by every significant word that appears in each heading.
All three publications described above are available from:
