This document provides instructions for searching the Medline database to identify relevant journal articles. It describes how to perform searches using keywords or subject terms, how to combine searches using Boolean operators, and how to limit searches by date, language or other filters. It also explains how to view search results, access full text articles, and save searches to retrieve later. The goal is to demonstrate the tools and techniques for conducting effective literature searches in Medline.

1. Searching the Literature:
Medline

2. Tools for searching the scholarly literature
• A database is a specialised research tool that
identify useful journal articles
• There are a range of allied health databases:
– Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library,
AMED, SportDiscus, PedRO, PsycInfo and
more …
– Access from Databases tab on Library home
page: latrobe.edu.au/library

3. Medline Search Screen

4. Searching in Medline
• You can search by keyword (broader), subject
term (more precise) or both

5. Scope note

6. After checking the Scope Note
• Return to subject heading list (click ‘previous page’ or
use back arrow):
– Include all Subheadings, Explode and Continue

7. Expand the Search History to
display search results

8. Add a keyword search
• Add * to truncate a word
• Add quotes to search by phrase (2 or more
words)
• Un-tick the box ‘Map Term to Subject Heading’
• Use alternate terms

9. Combine with OR
• Remember: OR means more!
• Same search term, just searching in two
different ways: keyword (broader search) and
subject term (more precise search)

10. Add another concept to the search
• Expand the search history
• Tick the boxes for searches 3 and 6
• Combine with And = 1078 results

11. Combine searches
• Limit by date, language and more …

12. Additional limits available

13. Search result: highest level of
evidence

14. Results display

15. Full citation record

16. Saving and retrieving searches
1. Create an account
2. Save Search history
3. Retrieve saved search: login to My Account >
My Workspace > My Searches and Alerts

17. Search Results – Finding the full text
• Select the Full Text Finder to link to your
article:
• If not available, search for the journal title from
Journals tab on the Library homepage
• If the journal is not held, request the article from
Document Delivery Services
latrobe.edu.au/document-delivery/