Specify or limit the Search Results
Once the individual search concepts have been combined into a definite search strategy, the search results can be restricted by language, study type, year, etc. using:
- PubMed Filters, shown on the left side of search results
- PubMed Clinical Queries, adding methodological search terms to your search
Read on below, and try Pubmeds interactive tutorial.
PubMed Filters
On the left side of the screen, you can find several filters with which you can limit the search results quickly. You could use the graph to specify a publication time range, of click the filters below the graph for instance the article type to just see the Randomized Controlled Trials.
Watch the demo below which is about the filter menu (1:07) by Laupus Health Sciences Library.
NB: Several filter options are MeSH terms in disguise, such as Humans. When you activate this filter, you are actually combining your search with AND Humans[MeSH], indicating that all articles must contain the MeSH term 'Humans'. Articles without MeSH (found through [tiab] searches) are now instantly deleted from your search.
Other filters that are MeSH terms, are all articles types (except systematic review), sex and age. For more information see the PubMed User Guide.
Short video about PubMeds filters
Clinical Queries
Clinical Queries filters are search strategies that are designed to limit the search results to clinical studies. Find out more about what the search is limited to here. By adding Clinical Queries to your search, you are adding methodological search terms. Which ones are added, depends on what category you select. This category in turn depends on the perspective of your clinical question.
How to use Clinical Queries:
- Go to your search history (by clicking on Advanced under the search bar)
- Remember the # number of the most complete search string (so the search that combines the PICO parts)
- Go back to the home page of PubMed by clicking on the
logo in the top of the screen. - Go to 'Clinical Queries' under Find
- Type in the # search number in the search bar (with the #hastag)
- Click on 'Search'
- Choose a category and scope
You can choose from five categories:
- therapy (systematic review, meta-analysis, RCT)
- diagnosis (sensitivity, specificity, systematic review)
- prognosis (cohort, systematic review)
- etiology (cohort, systematic review)
- clinical prediction guides
The category 'therapy' is most common. This domain is appropriate to use when you have a clinical question about a treatment of a specific problem or disease. Comparative evidence between one treatment and another is often looked at. The evidential value is mainly found in RCTs
At 'Scope' you choose between:
- broad = sensitive = more results with also less relevant results (high chance of noise)
- narrow = specific = less results, but with (more chance of) high relevance
For instance:
therapy + broad= RCTs + clinical trials
therapy + narrow = RCTs
The Systematic Reviews filter option under Clinical Queries is identical to the option under Article types in the Filters Sidebar.
Based on a work by the University Library Nijmegen on https://libguides.ru.nl/