UX Caucus Database Tips

Many thanks to Peter Johnson, University of Kansas Medical Center, @libraryvines@mindly.social for this week's post!  Within PubMed's Advanced Search query builder, terms may be attached to specific field tags, such as [MeSH] or [mh], and then applied to an ongoing string in the query box with specific boolean. Queries generated in this manner will appear without quotations around the entered terms. Ex. This non-application of quotations gives several considerations to an advanced searcher utilizing the query builder tool in PubMed.  Depending on the field tag used, an unquoted word or phrase may have automatic term mapping (ATM) applied to it. This can produce unexpected search results from the mapping, particularly for an unquoted term searched with the MeSH field tag where the mapping may apply to a MeSH's entry terms. The possibility ATM on an unquoted phrase attached to a field tag should be noted in each individual field tag's documentation .   A se...

This week, we are highlighting a new tool developed by our colleague Edwin Sperr. Ed's Mapping Tester helps searchers identify any changes in automatic term mapping (ATM) in the new PubMed compared to "old" PubMed. Check out Ed's blog post for a discussion of the changes to ATM, a detailed description of the Mapping Tester, and examples of how it works.  We're interested in more posts about the changes to ATM and how you're adapting to them; if you'd like to contribute a tip, email Andy at: alh4014 AT med.cornell.edu.