There are numerous effective tools in PubMed that allow one to tailor a search so as to retrieve the most relevant results. Sometimes, to locate the appropriate citations, it is necessary to put a host of these tools to work to create what would be considered a complex search strategy. On other occasions, the most basic search construction will suffice to yield useful search results. The steps below describe how to conduct a basic search in PubMed and then how to view the abstract (when available) and look for the full-text.
To explore some of the methods and tools one might use to construct a more complex search, see the other drop-down menu options under the "Search" tab in this guide or click on the "MeSH Search" tab.
1) Select the key concepts from your research statement or question
exs. Does aspirin prevent heart attacks? The key concepts in this question are: aspirin, heart attack.
Note: if you are searching for a specific author or journal, consider using PubMed's Single Citation Matcher. More information on using Single Citation Matcher can be found in this guide by clicking here.
2) Place the key concepts into the PubMed search box and click the "Search" button
3) The results page you retrieve should look similar to the one below
4) To view the abstract of an article, click on the hyperlinked title of the article (in blue text in the results list in the above image). This should produce a view of the citation which includes the abstract (as in the image below).
5) For WCMC-Q users who have entered PubMed through the Health Sciences Library website, there will be a button labelled "Get It @ WCM-Q" in the upper right corner of the abstract view of each citation. Clicking this will allow you to easily ascertain if the library has the full article, and access it if the library does have it.
If you are off-campus, you will first need to login for full access using the yellow toolbar at the top of the page.
Additionally, if the Health Sciences Library does not have the article, you can request a copy through interlibrary loan (ILL) via the "Get It @ WCMC-Q" page, or search for it at one of Cornell's other libraries.
