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Medical Subject Headings

MeSH Browser Overview

Searching Vocabulary with the MeSH Browser

Viewing Records

 When a descriptor is selected, the details of the record are displayed under four tabs, Details, Qualifiers, MeSH Tree Structures, and Concepts. When a qualifier or Supplementary Concept record is selected, the details of the record are displayed under two tabs, Details and Concepts. Fields or elements within the record are linked to additional sources such as related records, MeSH terms in Scope Notes, hierarchy locations, and other similar information.

The MeSH record view in the Details, Qualifiers, and MeSH Tree Structure tabs should satisfy all your basic needs if you are using MeSH to search and retrieve citations. Additional information about the concepts of the record (such as Concept UI, Semantic Type, and Lexical Tag as it exists in XML MeSH ) can be viewed in the Concept tab. These can be viewed under the Concept tab by expanding or collapsing specific parts by clicking on the Term names or by using the Expand All/Collapse All button. To learn more about these elements see: Concept Structure in XML MeSH .

Navigating the MeSH hierarchy

Clicking on "Tree View" will allow you to browse the MeSH hierarchy from the broadest to the narrowest MeSH headings. You can also jump to the MeSH tree by clicking the Tree Number from inside a record in the Detail tab, or by clicking on the record’s MeSH Tree Structure tab.

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Last Reviewed: March 14, 2023