About Basic Search
PubMed uses Automatic Term Mapping to try to enhance your search terms.
Simply type the main keywords into the search box and hit search. PubMed will guess at the best synonyms, alternative spellings, and Medical Subject Headings to add to your search.
Like Google, PubMed will automatically surface results in "Best Match" order.
Tips for Basic Searches
- Be concise and specific with keywords
- Do not use punctuation
- Do not use prepositions (of, in, with/without, about, due to, during, etc.) or other stopwords
- Do not use quotation marks or truncation (*)
- Avoid using Boolean Operators (AND/OR/NOT). If used, write Boolean Operators in all CAPITALS and add parenthesis to clarify the order of operations.
- Example: obstructive sleep apnea AND (blood pressure OR stroke)
- Change order of results display from "Best Match" by using "Sort by" options
