Q. What is PubMed and how do I use it to search the biomedical literature?

PubMed is an open access biomedical literature database from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, with more than 34 million citations from life science journals and online books. Use PubMed when a comprehensive medical literature search is needed. Its sophisticated search engine automatically maps keywords to medical terminology when searching. Filters are available for article type, including review papers and clinical trials. PubMed is especially important for students in the School of Health Sciences. It is a scholarly database with peer-reviewed content. 

PubMed contains full-text, but it doesn't link to the licensed full-text provided by the library. Check the library for full-text not available in PubMed and request a copy using our interlibrary loan service if needed. Do not pay to access articles online. 

• How can I find the full text of a specific article in the APUS library?
• What is interlibrary loan and how do I use it?

When a thorough literature search of the sports medicine literature is needed, the database SPORTSDiscus should also be searched. When a thorough literature search of the nursing literature is needed, the database CINAHL should also be searched. Both databases are available from the library’s A to Z List on the library homepage.

• PubMed Link
• PubMed Video Tutorial
• PubMed Help for Clinical Queries

See  Also:

• A-Z Listing of Trefry Library Databases
• Nursing Research Strategies Guide: Learn more about evidence-based practice resources
• Healthcare Administration Strategies Guide: This guide provides pointers for getting started with your healthcare administration research using library databases and open websites
• Health Information Management Strategies Guide: This guide provides pointers for getting started with your health information management research using library databases and open websites