MEDLINE Fundamentals for Health-Curious iSchool Students and Alumni

Interested in health science librarianship? If so, MEDLINE is the first tool you need in your toolbox (and on your resume). Searching MEDLINE, the premier database for biomedical sciences, is critical for health research and reference work and a core competency for health librarians.

This workshop will introduce you to key features in MEDLINE using two popular platforms, PubMed and Ovid, with hands-on practice to give you confidence in using quick search finding tools as well as building advanced search queries.

After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:

Explain how journals are selected for indexing in MEDLINE and describe the subject coverage, update frequency, and other key features of the database
Use tools for quick-answer searching such as Single Citation Matcher, Similar Articles, Subject Filters, and Special Queries
Build advanced searches using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), explosion, focusing, subheadings, and supplementary concepts
Identify key fields and tags for filtering queries by study type, date, indexing status, and more; and
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of two popular MEDLINE interfaces: PubMed, the National Library of Medicine’s free interface, and Ovid, the fee-based platform with advanced search functionality

Date: Tuesday February 13, 2024, 10am – 12pm

Location: Zoom

Instructor: Allison McArthur, Library Information Specialist, Public Health Ontario