Subject headings are a kind of "controlled vocabulary"-- a thesaurus of standardized, preferred terms within a database. Because there are multiple ways to refer to the same concept, you can use subject headings to:
MeSH, or Medical Subject Headings, is the controlled vocabulary used by NLM in PubMed.
Search terms are automatically translated into MeSH by PubMed, but there are times where you may want to visit the dedicated MeSH search builder to add specificity to your search.
Step 1: Scroll down on the PubMed home page to find the link to the MeSH database.
Step 2: Search for your term.
Step 3: Select your preferred term. Then, scroll down to utilize the hierarchy to find more broad or more specific terms.
Step 3: Choose subheadings and add terms to search builder
MeSH offers a variety of subheadings you can select to add greater specifictity to your search. After you've chosen your term, consider selecting subheadings as well.
Next, decide if you want to include the terms lower in the hierarchy in your search. (Ex. For Diabetes Mellitus, this includes Diabetes Mellitus, Type1, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, and more). If you DO NOT want to automatically include these terms, check "Do not include MeSH terms found below this term in the MeSH hierarchy"
Finally, on the right side of the screen, select "Add to search"
Once the term has been added, it will look like this:
Repeat this step until you've added all your search terms.
Step 4: Search
Once you've added all your search terms using step 3, select "Search PubMed"
CINAHL Subject Headings work much the same as they do in PubMed.
Step 1: Select "CINAHL Subject Headings" from the menu on the left side of the screen. Note: You may need to select the hamburger menu icon in the top left of the screen to open this menu.
Step 2: Type your term into the search bar.
Step 3: Select your term(s) and subheadings.
Step 4: Select "Explode" to include terms lower in the hierarchy
Step 5: Select "Add to search," then scroll back up to the advanced search bar and select search.
