2010 MeSH/MARC

Download of any of the full data files requires the completion of an online memorandum of understanding.

Conversion Information

• Download NLM 1999 Conversion Specifications (pdf format). This is the most current version. Form, language, and geographic qualifiers (subheadings) have been removed from MeSH. Any reference to these three types of records should be ignored.
• The NLM Conversion Specifications are to be used in conjunction with another document, USMARC Specifications for Record Structure, Character Sets, and Exchange Media for sale by the Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of Congress.

MeSH/MARC files available to download

Beginning with 2009 MeSH, if any changes in MeSH data are made in the middle of the year, a monthly full file and change file with these changes will be made available. Note that these monthly change files will include only changes made during that month - the changes are not cumulative. Mid-year change files that are available are indicated below.

The data are encoded in MARC-8. These files can only be transferred via FTP into a save file. A file extension of .bin has been used to prompt the local receiving computer to automatically open a file to save the data.

For users of Internet Explorer, if you want to save a file to your local hard drive rather than open it, you must right-click the link and then select Save Target As....

The full file is estimated to take 5 minutes to download on a T3 communications line (at 45 Mbps) and longer on slower lines.

• Annual files
  • Sample file contains 41 descriptor records, 83 qualifier records, and 869 descriptor/qualifier combinations, for a total of 993 records. Download sample file [317KB]
    • Label file provides size and other statistics for the sample file. [72B]
      
      
  • Update-only file contains new and modified terms with 4,418 descriptor records, 30 qualifier records, and 11,656 descriptor/qualifier combinations, for a total of 16,104 records. Download update-only file [7MB]
    • Label file provides size and other statistics for the update file. [77B]
  • Full file contains all terms with 25,588 descriptor records, 83 qualifier records, and 572,904 descriptor/qualifier combinations, for a total of 598,575 records. Download full file [147MB]
    • Label file provides size and other statistics for the full file. [79B]

  Summary contents of files. 2010 MeSH/MARC. September 1, 2009.

  File	Total Records	File Size	Bytes
  Full File	598,575	147MB	154,416,223
  Update-only File	16,104	7MB	6,960,480
  Sample File	993	317KB	324,945

• Monthly change files

  Summary contents of monthly files. 2010 MeSH/MARC.

  Month	Total Records	File Size	Bytes
  October 2009	2	1.5KB	1,520
  November 2009	11	6KB	6,136

If you have questions concerning the content of MeSH/MARC files or FTP of MeSH/MARC data, please contact:

Jacque-Lynne Schulman

Medical Subject Headings

Telephone: 301-496-1495; FAX: 301-402-2002

email: schulman@nlm.nih.gov

Last reviewed: 18 November 2009
Last updated: 18 November 2009
First published: 01 September 2009
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanent: Dynamic Content