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NLM Catalog Help Created: July 31, 2007 Updated: June 02, 2008 NLM Catalog Andrew Plumer Overview The NLM Catalog provides access to NLM bibliographic data for over 1.2 million journals, books, audiovisuals, computer software, electronic resources, and other materials via the NCBI Entrez retrieval system. The Entrez retrieval system was developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine, located at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Entrez is the text-based search and retrieval system used at NCBI for services including PubMed, Journals, OMIM, Nucleotide and Protein Sequences, Protein Structures, Complete Genomes, Taxonomy, and others. Updated every weekday, the NLM Catalog is an alternative search interface to the bibliographic records resident in LocatorPlus. For complete information regarding NLM's holdings and an item's circulation status, visit LocatorPlus . Quick Start Guide for the NLM CatalogTo begin:
Enter one or more search terms in the query box and press the Enter key or click Go. Search terms may be entered in upper or lower case. The NLM Catalog ignores most punctuation entered for searching. The Features bar beneath the query box provides access to additional search options. Boolean Operators (AND, OR, and NOT)
Note: To change the order in which the operators in a search statement are processed, enclose search terms in parentheses (Nesting). The terms inside the set of parentheses are processed as a unit and then incorporated into the overall search strategy.
Subjects in NLM Catalog records include Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms, Personal Names, and Other Subjects. MeSHNLM's Medical Subject Headings controlled vocabulary of biomedical terms that is used to describe the subject of each journal article in MEDLINE. MeSH contains more than 23,000 terms and is updated annually to reflect changes in medicine and medical terminology. To search a MeSH term enter the term, followed by the field qualifier [mh].
To search a MeSH term with one or more subheadings, enter the term, a forward slash, and one subheading, followed by the field qualifier. Multiple subheadings are ORed together.
A MeSH term may be one of the main topics discussed in the item (MeSH Major Topic).
MeSH terms are arranged hierarchically by subject categories with more specific terms arranged beneath broader terms. Each term has a tree number that positions the term in the hierarchy. Eye [A01.456.505.420] Eyebrows [A01.456.505.420.338] Eyelids [A01.456.505.420.504] Eyelashes [A01.456.505.420.504.421 By having narrower terms indented under broader terms, a search of a broad term can automatically include the narrower terms. When a term is searched as a MeSH Heading, NLM Catalog automatically searches that heading and the more specific headings underneath in the hierarchy. This is called exploding a term. Personal Name as SubjectEnter a personal name following the format for searching an Author Personal Name. Qualify the name with the Personal Name as Subject or Personal Full Name as Subject. The qualifiers [ps] and [fps] are also available.
Subject terms that are not MeSH or Personal Names are in the Other Subject(s) field. Enter the term followed by the field qualifier [ot].
Unqualified search terms are processed using Automatic Term Mapping. The term is matched against a MeSH Translation Table. If a match is found, the term is searched as a MeSH term and as a text word.
If no MeSH match is found, the term is matched against a Journals Translation Table and then an Author Index. If there is no match, the term is searched in All Fields. Searching Tip: Click on Details to verify how the search query was translated Phrase SearchingWhen a phrase is entered as the search term, it is checked against the translation table that is used in Automatic Term Mapping. When a match is found, it is searched as a multi-word search term.
When a phrase is not automatically identified in the table, you can request a check for the phrase in the NLM Catalog's index of searchable terms. Either enter the phrase in quotes, e.g., "single cell," or qualify the phrase with a search tag, e.g., single cell[ti]. When a phrase in double quotes is found in the index, it is searched as a multi-word search term and automatic term mapping is not applied. There is no explosion of MeSH terms.
Note: If your search phrase is not in the index of searchable terms, the individual terms in the phrase are processed using automatic term mapping and all terms are ANDed together.
Send suggestions of phrases to add to this index to NLM Customer Service. Searching with Field QualifiersNarrow your search to specific fields by adding the Search Field Label or Tag after the search term.
Note: Enclose the Label or Tag qualifier in brackets. The qualifiers can be in upper or lower case (all examples given in help use lower case). Title SearchingEnter one or more words from the title, with each word followed by the field qualifier [ti].
You can search for either the name of an individual author (Personal Name) or for the organization (corporate name) or conference which is considered the author of a work. Personal nameThere are several different options for searching for personal author names. Enter the name in the format of last name and up to the first two initials (no punctuation).
A name entered using this format initiates a search of the author field. The NLM Catalog automatically truncates the author's name to account for varying initials and designations such as Jr or 2nd. For example, miles m matches miles m and miles ma, miles mf, miles mt, etc. Enter the last name qualified with the author tag [au].
Enter the Full Author Name. Use of the search tag [fau] is not required. Unlike conventional author searching (e.g., smith js), full author searching can be in either natural or inverted order.
When searching a full name using the inverted order, a comma following the last name is generally optional, remove periods after initials, and put all suffixes, e.g., Jr, at the end. For example, to search for the author Anthony S. Fauci, you may use any of the following formats:
Although the comma following the last name is generally optional, for some names, it is necessary to distinguish which name is the last name by using the comma following the last name.
Full author name searching allows for automatic truncation of the forename. If you don't know the middle initial, do not use the truncation symbol, enter only the last and first names.
Names with multiple middle initials, e.g., Stanley P L Leong, have a space in between the initials. Using the examples listed below will retrieve the expected results.
Caveat for searching Full Author Name If the first and middle names consist of only initials it is best to search as for author, using the last name and the first and second initials, without a comma between the elements. The use of the qualifier [au] is optional.
Authority Index
Click on the new Authority Index tab that appears to the right of the "Details" tab. Enter the name (includes personal, corporate or conference names) or series title as an unqualified search in the new search box that is displayed. Click the box labeled "Search" to invoke the search of the index. Optionally, enter a name of a person, organization, conference, or series title into the main search box, qualified by [ai]. When this is done, the system automatically invokes the "Authority Index" tab and the search also appears in the authority index search box. Results of a Search of the Authority IndexA search of the authority index results in an alphabetic display. The established form of the name is hyperlinked; clicking on this link retrieves the bibliographic record(s) associated with that name in the NLM Catalog. The advantage of a search of the authority index is that it provides for more specificity in a search. As an illustration, using the authority index results in retrieval of a single bibliographic record associated with the name "Smith, J Barker" whereas a search of the name as an author yields twenty-six (26) bibliographic records that need to be examined to determine the one desired. Using Cross References in the Authority IndexThe authority index also provides access to cross-reference entries for variant forms of names and titles that can assist the searcher in identifying the form used in NLM bibliographic records and improve the success and exactness of retrieval. Additionally, links are provided to the different forms of a name or series title that may have changed over time.
Variant forms appear before the word "see", appear in black type, and are not hyperlinked. The user is led from this other, variant form to the established form of the name (appearing after the word "see") that is hyperlinked. When a user clicks on the hyperlink for the established form, that form appears in the authority index search box and at the top of the authority index. Clicking once again on the established form in the authority index retrieves all bibliographic records associated with that established name.
The authority index also provides links to earlier, later, and related forms of names and titles, identified by the label "see also." These "see also" entries provide links to other names used by persons over time, historical names of organizations, and changes in titles of series. All established forms used by the organization appear after the phrase "see also" and are hyperlinked. Clicking on these established forms leads the user to the bibliographic records associated with those names or titles. Display of Series InformationWhen a series title is searched in the authority index, the display of the series title is prefaced by a plus sign (+) and the label "Series: ," with the title of the series appearing alphabetically. Clicking on the plus sign reveals additional information related to the NLM treatment of that series title. The information provided includes the NLM analysis practice, classification practice, and classification number (when present). These data appear labeled as:
For detailed information see the NLM Technical Bulletin. Truncation / WildcardTruncation or wildcard searching allows you to search a root word and all of its variations that might prove valuable to your search (for example, using 'flavor' to find all terms that begin with flavor: flavored, flavorful, etc.).
Wildcard search for term* used only the first 600 variations. Note: Truncation turns off automatic term mapping and automatic explosion of a MeSH term. Single Record MatcherUse this feature to find the citation for any resource in the NLM Catalog (e.g., book, book chapter, audiovisual material or serial).
Examples: Note: You can also search using full author name in the Single Record Matcher Search FeaturesThe following search features are located on the NLM Catalog Features bar. LimitsThis feature limits or restricts your search by:
The feature provides a list of the most frequently searched languages. You may also search for a language by entering the language name in the query box and qualifying it with the search field tag [la].
The complete list of languages used is based on the official list of languages provided in the MARC Code List of Languages, a standard maintained by the U.S. Library of Congress. Publication TypeThe pull-down menu contains a list of frequently searched physical formats (items) and resource types. A more complete list of publication types: NLM CollectionItems owned by NLM - identifies items owned by the National Library of Medicine. For specific holdings, view the LocatorPlus record by using the link in the NLM ID or, on the Expanded Display, the NLM Holdings in LocatorPlus icon. The link opens a new window to display the record. Close the LocatorPlus window to return to the NLM Catalog results. Full TextThis feature will limit your search to full text documents. Publication YearUse the "From" and "To" boxes to specify a range of dates. For a single year, enter the year in both boxes. If no date is entered in the "To" box, the NLM Catalog searches the date in the "From" box through the Year 3000. If no date is entered in the "From" box, the NLM Catalog searches all dates preceding the one in the "To" box, starting with year 1.
The most common material types are listed in the drop-down menu. For a material type not on the list, enter it in the query box, qualified by the search field name Item Type [item] and Resource Type [res type].
You can search any field within an NLM Catalog record. Preview/IndexPreview
Index
Displays the search strategies and results of your searches.
Examples:
This feature stores selected items from one or more searches. (To store items see "Send To".)
Display Display Order:
For the fields displayed in the first five types see: Related records in the catalog: Click the Related Records in Catalog link on the right side of a citation. The Related Records link will retrieve a pre-calculated set of NLM Catalog citations that are closely related to the selected record. The related records will be displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first. More information about Related Records:
Sort
Send To Provides ways to process search results through several options (Text, File, Clipboard, E-mail):
Note: Please see the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals and provided examples for information on standard citation formats used in biomedical journals. Print - several print options available:
Links (located to the right of each result)
What is a "cookie"? How can I tell if my system accepts cookies?
Enabling Cookies See the My NCBI for information about setting up a My NCBI account. The NLM Catalog offers two filter options through My NCBI
Abstract/Index Tags [itag] Used to specify the publications or databases in which a title has been indexed and/or abstracted, and the status of the indexing if known. Use "Preview/Index" to identify searchable values for the indexing publications or databases. These values include but are not limited to:
The searchable values for indexing status are:
Includes all searchable NLM Catalog fields.
The format to search for an author is: last name followed by a space and up to the first two initials followed by a space and a suffix abbreviation, if applicable. Do not use punctuation. Initials and suffixes may be removed when searching. The NLM Catalog automatically truncates on an author's name to account for varying initials. To turn off the automatic truncation, enclose the author's name in double quotes and qualify with [au] in brackets.
Identifies the corporate or conference name associated with an item. Corporate or conference names display exactly as they appear in the item. Use Preview/Index to build a search, to verify the form of name and/or spelling.
You can view the available filters by using the Preview/Index feature:
The complete name of the author. The format is last name then a space and the full first name, a space and middle initial, if applicable.
This field contains data related to the format of the material. Contains one of the following values:
Includes the journal title abbreviation, full journal title, or ISSN number. If a journal title contains special characters, e.g., parentheses, brackets, enter the title without these characters.
You can also search for journals using the title abbreviation [ta] tag in the NLM Catalog.
The complete list of languages used is based on the official list of languages provided in the MARC Code List of Languages, a standard maintained by the U.S. Library of Congress. To see the list of available languages, use the Preview/Index feature: Click on Preview/index on the action bar Under the "Add Term(s) to Query or View Index:" section, select "language" from the pull down menu Click the "Index" button The system will display the available languages, in alphabetical order, and, in parentheses, the number of items associated with that language MESH Major Topic [majr]A MeSH term that is one of the main topics discussed in an item denoted by an asterisk on the MeSH term or MeSH/Subheading combination.
MeSH Subheadings are used with MeSH terms to help describe more completely a particular aspect of a subject. For example, the drug therapy of asthma is displayed as asthma/drug therapy. The MeSH Subheading field allows users to "free float." MeSH Subheadings automatically include the more specific Subheading terms under the term in a search. To turn off this automatic feature, use the search syntax [sh:noexp]. In addition, you can enter the MEDLINE two letter MeSH Subheading abbreviations rather than spelling out the Subheading.
Notes on MeSH Terms and Major MeSH Topic search fields:
The alpha-numeric identifier for the item that was assigned by NLM's integrated library system LocatorPlus.
Includes: general note, NLM catalog record owner, abstract, contents note, and other abstract.
Includes: ISBN, government document classification number, LCCN, other id, and report number.
Includes: broad journal heading and other subject name.
Use this search field tag to limit retrieval to where the name is the subject of the article. Search using the full name; last name comma space and the first name.
Use this search field tag to limit retrieval to records where the name is the subject of the title/material. Search names following the Author field format.
Indicates the country of publication of the item. Geographic regions are not directly searchable. In order to retrieve records for all countries in a region (e.g., North America) it is necessary to OR together the countries of interest.
Includes the statuses of a serial: open, closed, or unknown.
Describes the type of material the item represents; see the full list of publication types below.
The year that the item was published. To enter a year range, insert a colon (:) between each year.
Contains the publisher.
This field contains one or more of the following values:
Related items with an overall title for the group; they may be numbered.
Words and numbers included in the title of an item. Do not use punctuation.
The Uniform Resource Locator or the Web address of a particular item. To search for URLs, the item must start with http:// and be enclosed in quotes. Also the URL must be the exact address of the item.
If you need more assistance, please select "Write to the Help Desk" on the bottom of each NLM Catalog page. You may also contact NLM Customer Service at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/contacts/custserv-email.html. |