Research: Finding Literature

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Did you know that databases like Medline and Embase use human indexers to apply subject headings to article citations?

Subject headings are a controlled vocabulary taken from a thesaurus of approved terms.  The most well known vocabulary in medicine is MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). 

When you search the databases, subject headings can help you search more effectively.  Subject headings can solve the problem of geographical differences like spelling variations, terminology etc.

For example, the MeSH term Aspirin includes the following entry terms: 

2-(Acetyloxy)benzoic Acid

Acetylsalicylic Acid

Acetysal

Acylpyrin

Aloxiprimum

Colfarit

Dispril

Easprin

Ecotrin

Endosprin

Magnecyl

Micristin

Polopirin

Polopiryna

Solprin

Solupsan

Zorprin

 

So, if a search was done in Medline for Dispril, and the option to map to subject headings is selected, then the MeSH term Aspirin would be found.  The search would then retrieve every article about Aspirin - which will include all the variations of drug names listed above.  If instead, it was simply a keyword search, only articles that specifically mention Dispril would be retrieved.