Searching PubMed

Step 1. Define the question

Does the measles mumps rubella vaccine cause autism in children?

Step. 2 Identify key concepts

  • Measles Mumps Rubella Vaccine
  • Autism
  • Children

Step. 3 Identify synonyms

3.1 Do a MeSH search for Measles Mumps Rubella Vaccine MeSH search
Click Add to search builder then Search PubMed on right hand side of the screen, screenshot of what I mean, to do a MeSH term search in PubMed. PubMed search
Then search for all of the various synonyms as keywords
"Measles Mumps Rubella Vaccine" OR "Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine" OR "MMR Vaccine" OR "Triviraten Berna" OR Priorix OR Trimovax OR Virivac OR Pluserix PubMed search
Go to the Advanced search tab. Left click on the MeSH term and the keywords and combine them together by selecting the OR operator.

3.2 Do a MeSH search for Autism, click on Autistic Disorder. MeSH search

Click Add to search builder then Search PubMed on right hand side of the screen to do a MeSH term search in PubMed. PubMed search
Then search for all of the various synonyms as keywords
Autistic OR Autism OR "Kanner's Syndrome" OR "Kanner Syndrome" OR "Kanners Syndrome" OR Autisms PubMed search
Go to the Advanced search tab. Left click on the MeSH term and the keywords and combine them together by selecting the OR operator.

3.3 Do a MeSH search for Child MeSH search

Click Add to search builder then Search PubMed on right hand side of the screen to do a MeSH term search in PubMed. PubMed search
Then search for all of the various synonyms as keywords
Child OR Children OR Infant OR Infants OR Baby OR Babies PubMed search
Go to the Advanced search tab. Left click on the MeSH term and the keywords and combine them together by selecting the OR operator.

4. Combine all terms together to complete the search

Go to the Advanced search tab. Left click on the combined MeSH and keywords searches and use the AND operator to combine them for the final search. PubMed search

Screenshot of final search

 
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