Which search concepts will probably be represented by subheadings?
Subheadings
are aspects of heading concepts. If two of your search concepts can be linked by a preposition, one of those concepts is probably a subheading concept.
Write down
the heading-concept/subheading-concept combinations that you plan to use.
WARNING!
Use subheadings sparingly:
- Do not use a subheading with a heading if you do not need to focus on a specific aspect of that heading topic.
- Do not use a subheading if three or more aspects of the heading topic are of interest. Articles covering many aspects of a topic are indexed with the topic heading without any subheadings.
A heading without subheadings will retrieve all records indexed with that heading regardless of the subheading/s used with the heading in the retrieved records. In other words, a search strategy containing --
- "Immunosuppressive Agents"[Mesh]
-- will retrieve PubMed records indexed with any "immunosuppressive agents" (or narrower heading) heading/subheading combos including but not limited to --
- "Immunosuppressive Agents"[Mesh]
- "Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects"[Mesh]
- "Immunosuppressive Agents/metabolism"[Mesh]
- "Immunosuppressive Agents/standards"[Mesh]
- "Immunosuppressive Agents/standards"[Mesh]
- "Myeloablative Agonists"[Mesh]
A heading/subheading combo will only retrieve records indexed with the same or a narrower heading/subheading combo. In other words, a search strategy containing --
- "Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects"[Mesh]
-- will NOT retrieve PubMed records indexed with --
- "Immunosuppressive Agents"[Mesh]
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