- Online version of Index Medicus produced by the US National Library of Medicine (NLM).
- Free
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- The primary component of PubMed made available by NLM to commercial suppliers.
- Available by paid subscription through a number of interfaces.
- At UM we have the OVID interface.
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- An Elsevier database.
- Available by subscription through a number of interfaces.
- At UM we have the OVID interface.
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Coverage of PubMed |
Coverage of Medline |
Coverage of Embase |
- Back to 1946
- Contains over 37 million records from 5,400 journals
- Subject coverage = life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine & some non-medical
- Includes all of Medline and:
- 'in process' citations
- some older citations
- citations to non-medical journals
- citations to ebooks
- Some free full text (via PubMed Central) & UM 'Check Access' button if accessed through library
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- Back to 1946
- Contains over 31 million records from 5,200 mainly US journals
- Subject coverage = life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine
- Records are indexed with NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) which enhances search capability
- Some full text and UM 'Check Access' button.
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- Back to 1947
- Contains over 40 million records from 8,800 journals from more than 90 countries.
- Includes 2,900 journals NOT indexed in Medline
- Includes all of Medline.
- Includes conference abstracts back to 2009.
- Some full text and UM 'Check Access' button.
- Subject coverage = Medline + drug & pharmacy journals.
- Records indexed using the Emtree thesaurus (86,000 terms mapped to MeSH) for increased depth and breath in searching
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Searching PubMed |
Searching Medline |
Searching Embase |
- Easy keyword searching and automatic mapping to MeSH terms.
- Search MeSH database to subject search
- Extensive limiting options
- Clinical Queries filters from NLM
- see also How to search PubMed
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- Keyword searching
- Advanced Search with guided mapping of keywords to MeSH terms
- Extensive limiting options
- Clinical Queries filters from McMaster University Hedges Project
- see also How to search using Ovid
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- Keyword searching
- Advanced Search with guided mapping of keywords to Emtree terms.
- Subheadings include specific drug-related topics.
- Extensive limiting options, including routes of drug administration.
- Clinical Queries filters from McMaster University Hedges Project
- see also How to search using Ovid
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Other features of PubMed |
Other features of Medline |
Other features of Embase |
- 'Related citations'
- Register to save searches, set up alerts & customize filters.
- Citations may be exported to citation managers.
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- 'Find Similar' and 'Find Citing Articles'.
- Register to save searches, and create email alerts.
- Citations may be exported to citation managers.
- Link to search
- Copy search history
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- 'Find Similar' and 'Find Citing Articles'.
- Register to save searches, and create email alerts.
- Citations may be exported to citation managers.
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When to use PubMed |
When to use Medline |
When to use Embase |
- If you are unable to access subscription databases.
- For easy keyword searching (automatically maps to MeSH).
- For clinical queries.
- For genetics topics.
- For finding related citations
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- For keyword searching
- For guided MeSH subject searching.
- For extensive search limiting options.
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- For keyword searching
- For guided Emtree subject searching (including MeSH).
- For great basic, natural language search.
- For drug/pharmacy topics (coverage plus subheading options)
- To pick up recent articles & conference papers.
- For extensive search limiting options.
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Knowledge Synthesis and PubMed |
Knowledge Synthesis and Medline |
Knowledge Synthesis and Embase |
- Depending on question, search PubMed OR Medline NOT both
- Depending on how searched PubMed searches are not as reproducible as Medline searches.
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- Depending on question, search PubMed OR Medline NOT both
- Medline searches are more reproducible than PubMed searches
- Depending on question, search Medline in combination with Embase
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- Depending on question, search Embase in combination with Medline.
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