CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE DATABASE

MEDLINE includes "citations" from nearly 4000 of the world's leading biomedical journals.

A "citation" is made up of the basic pieces of each journal article, which are mounted into fields. Most fields are searchable.

This is what a basic MEDLINE citation looks like. The "fields" are in bold:

Unique Identifier 10685134 Authors Kuller LH. Institution Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Title Hormone replacement therapy and coronary heart disease. A new debate. [Review] [93 refs] Source Medical Clinics of North America. 84(1):181-98, ix-x, 2000 Jan. Local Messages Med Library owns some volumes. Check library catalog for holdings. MeSH Subject Headings Clinical Trials Coronary Disease / et [Etiology] *Coronary Disease / pc [Prevention & Control] *Estrogen Replacement Therapy Female Human Myocardial Infarction / et [Etiology] *Myocardial Infarction / pc [Prevention & Control] Postmenopause Risk Factors Treatment Outcome Abstract Hormone replacement therapy is extensively used in the United States, especially for the possible prevention of heart disease, osteoporotic fractures, and, more recently, dementia. The results of recent clinical trials have raised new questions about the risk and benefits of estrogen or estrogen/progesterone therapy to prevent heart attacks, the choice of specific drug therapy such as specialized estrogen receptor modulation (SERM). The change in risk factors, especially weight gain or obesity, may determine the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy. [References: 93]

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