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MEDLINE Indexing Online Training Course

Category M - Persons

Indexing Principles

The Category M AGE GROUP terms will be used far more frequently as a Check Tag than as the IM concept.

The category M term will be used as an IM concept, when that group is viewed as a social, sociological/psychological, political, cultural or economic entity. For all other cases the check tag will be used.

For example, an article discussing sociological aspects of aged will be indexed with AGED as IM concept:

Support groups for the aged
*AGED
*SUPPORT GROUPS
HUMAN (check tags)

On the other hand, an article discussing a disease in elderly patients, will be indexed with AGED as a Check Tag:

Treatment of hypertension in women over 65
HYPERTENSION / * ther
HUMAN (check tag)
FEMALE (check tag)
AGED (check tag)

Last Reviewed: December 5, 2017