Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

DB / Metadata Management Program (MMP): Using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) in Cataloging


Annotations

  • Once you have found appropriate descriptors, read the MeSH annotations carefully to be sure you are using the term correctly (cf. Module 2—Introduction to MeSH and MeSH Browser)
  • There are some annotations on topical headings specifically relevant to catalogers:
         Examples:
    • Used for searching: indexers and catalogers apply specifics
      • Catalogers may not use these headings
    • Used for searching: indexers apply specifics; may be used by catalogers
      • Catalogers may use these headings
  • Other relevant annotations:
    • GEN: avoid: prefer specifics
    • Avoid: too general; prefer specifics
      • Catalogers are not prohibited from using these headings, but should consider if there is a more specific term that could be used

Last Reviewed: June 26, 2015