Choosing Your Favorite Medline - PubMed vs Ovid

Librarians are often asked if there is a difference between using PubMed or Ovid Medline to do a literature search.  The answer is no...and yes.  Both PubMed and Ovid Medline search the Medline database which is the online database created by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) indexing articles and abstracts from over 5,400 biomedical journals.  Medline indexes articles using NLM's Medical Subject Headings, or MeSH for short.  Essentially, PubMed and Ovid search the same content, with a few exceptions.  However, the mechanics of and tools provided by each database can affect your preference for one or the other.

Check out this chart comparing some of the main features:

Click on chart to make larger.

by: JoAnn Krzeminski, MLIS