Skip to Main Content
The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More

How to search PubMed

PubMed filters

screen capture of a pubmed results screen showing only the filters located on the left-hand side of the screen

Filters are used to focus your search on one or more aspects of the search results.

Some commonly used PubMed filters include:

  • Date Range (e.g. last 5 years)
  • Language (e.g. English only)
  • Article Type (e.g. review articles)
  • Age groups (e.g. Child: birth-18 years)

To apply a filter:

  1. From the PubMed main search window.
  2. Run a search in PubMed.
  3. On the results page, click the filter you would like to use from the left-hand sidebar. A check mark will appear next to the activated filter(s). 

Note:

  • Subsequent searches will be filtered until the selected filters are turned off, or until your browser data is cleared.
  • To see more filter options click on the Additional Filters (button) at the bottom of the filter list.

For the best available evidence, use the Article Type filter and select the following:

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Meta-analysis
  • Systematic Review
  • Practice Guideline

National Library of Medicine. “Filters.” PubMed User Guide, National Library of Medicine, 2024, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/help/#help-filters.

Language filter

In PubMed, the languages represented in the Language filter includes only those for which there are results in the results page. At the UM Libraries, most of our collections are in the English language. This means that by filtering for English you can quickly narrow the focus of your search to those journals we are likely to have.  BUT we do have some materials in languages other than English and these would be removed from your result set.  The best way to use this filter is to include English and any of the other languages you can read.

UM Libraries doesn't have the material you need?

UM students, staff and faculty members can always request documents from outside of our collections using the Document Delivery service.  If you are requesting a document that is not in English, please include in the Comments section of the form that you can read the language of the material you are requesting.

Basic search example with age filter

Consider the search strategy used in the basic search:

#1    mortal* or fatal* or death
#2    "cell phone*" or "cellular phone*" or "mobile phone*" or smartphone* or cellphone*
#3    "distracted driv*" or "driving while distracted" or "inattentive driv*"
#4    teen* or adolescen* or youth or young
#5    #1 and #2 and #3 and #4   

What would happen to the search if the age filter was used instead of the concept in line 4?

Steps to modify the search:

  1. In Advanced, combine lines 1,2,3 with AND.
  2. Click the Search (button) to proceed with the search.
  3. On the results page, scroll and click on Additional filters (button).
  4. Click on the Age (tab).
  5. Click on the box next to Adolescent: 13-18 years and on the box next to Young Adult: 19-14 years.
  6. Click Show (button). Note: This displays the filters but does not apply them to the search results. 
  7. To apply the filters to the search results, click on the box next to Adolescent: 13-18 years and on the box next to Young Adult: 19-14 years.