Medline: A Guide to Effective Searching in PubMed & Other Interfaces
Brian S. Katcher
Second Edition, 2006
The Ashbury Press
San Francisco, CA
www.ashburypress.com
ISBN 10: 0-9673445-1-4
Soft cover, 136 pages, U.S. $31.95

The purpose of the book is to provide a concise, informed and thoughtful approach to searching in Medline through interfaces such as PubMed. The main mission of the book is to teach the reader to think critically in applying the power of Medline. In five relatively easy to read chapters, Katcher reviews the origins of Medline and strategies for searching, using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and framing questions. The book is intended to be used away from the computer and read from start to finish. It is meant to augment the excellent tutorials available online. Medline encompasses 13 million articles in 4,800 journals published since 1966. One of the keys to using this very organized database is to understand how its contents are indexed, which is explained very thoroughly in chapter 2. The author goes on to review Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) vocabulary, main categories, subheadings that can be utilized within categories and supplementary concepts which help to describe the subject content of a citation. This chapter is strong and very focused, helping the reader to use this tool more effectively. Katcher is very thorough in helping the reader understand how to use these concepts to obtain the information required and produce a useful and more comprehensive search.

One of the strengths of this book is the organization of each chapter and the numerous tables appearing throughout the book that provide a framework for understanding searching in Medline. The author uses examples of searches and how to narrow and tailor the search to gain the desired information throughout the book. Appendix A, listing sources for Medline, interfaces and related health information sources on the web, is an excellent resource. Appendix B lists Journals in the Abridged Index Medicus and can be useful in seeking out specific journals. This book can be introductory for the novice or can help the more experienced user develop more appropriate searches. Although some of the writing is technical and more detailed, it is still relatively easy to read and follow.

Charlotte Szromba, MSN, CNN, APRN-BC
Nephrology Nurse Practitioner
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Member, ANNA’s Windy City Chapter