# Presentation: 080931

## Using My NCBI

- Customizing your PubMed search experience
- New England Region, NN/LM
- 					June 2007

- The NN/LM NER is funded by the National Library of Medicine under a contract (#N01-LM-1-3518) with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.

## What is My NCBI

- Save TIME! Save searches & receive automatic updates
- Customize searching
- Set search filters
- Set user preferences
- Turn on highlighting of search terms
- Save results & build bibliographies

## Set up a My NCBI account

- Click Register: This needs to be done only once.

## Register

- Pick a username and password. Write them down!
- Choose a security question and answer. Write it down!
- Provide your email address.
- Click Register.

## You’re registered!

- You will see a Welcome sign indicating you’ve successfully registered and are signed in.

- For future sessions, simply click Sign In and use your username and password.

- Working on your own personal computer? Then check this box to stay logged into your My NCBI indefinitely. Every time you access PubMed, you’ll automatically be in your My NCBI account.

## Watch

- Once you’ve supplied an email address for a My NCBI account during the registration process
**Watch **for an email sent to you from My 		    NCBI

## Validate

**Validate**	 your email address by 				 following the instructions in the 			 email

- _Note_: Your My NCBI account will *not* send email to any email address that has not been validated. This means that automatic updates for saved searches will not be emailed. So, it is important to watch for this email and respond to it.

## Access your My NCBI account

- Two ways to access your My NCBI account:
- From the upper right hand corner of the PubMed page
- From the blue side bar on the left hand side of the PubMed page

## Configure your account

- From the blue side bar, you can:
- Access saved searches & collections
- Set filters
- Set Document Delivery options
- Select an Outside Tool
- Set User Preferences
- Change your Password
- Sign out of your account

## What’s a filter?

- A filter is like a sieve designed to “catch” a certain type of citation
- Citations to articles in English
- Citations that are Review articles
- And more
- The PubMed results run through the sieve
- The citations “caught” by the filter are grouped under a tab on the PubMed results page.

## More on Filters

- Filters sort of “float” along on top of a search
- ALL citations that meet the search criteria are returned
- Citations “caught” by the filter are easily identified by the tab. Click the tab to view just that group of results.

## Why use Filters?

- Convenience and ease
- Do you generally limit searches to, say, English language only? Then, set a Filter once in My NCBI and easily see that group of citations.
- Do you want to see, for example, free full text articles? Then set a Filter once in My NCBI and easily see that group of citations.

## Set your Filters

- Click on the Filters link from the blue side bar

## Choose a database

- Click PubMed

## Quick Picks

- Review = a current default for all PubMed users. That’s why it’s already checked.

**Notes:**
Quick Picks are commonly requested filters for PubMed. 

## More on Quick Picks

- For each filter selected, a tab will appear in PubMed search results
**Choose** a filter by checking its box
**Remove** a filter by un-checking its box

## Example: This configuration

## Yields these tabs in a search:

## What do the tabs mean?

- Total results = 95 citations:
- 81 results are in English. Access just these citations by clicking the **English** tab.
- 10 results have free full text available. Access just these citations by clicking the **Free full text** tab.
- 19 results are Review articles. Access just these citations by clicking the **Review** tab.

**Notes:**
Search done 3/23/2006

## Changing Quick Picks

- Change the filter selections and you change the tabs that appear in PubMed search results
- Changes are easily made by using the Quick Picks option in your My NCBI account
- Access Quick picks easily via the Tool icon on the PubMed search page:

## Change the Quick Picks to:

## And the tabs in Results change:

## Back to Quick Picks

- Select the Filters you wish to have operational
- Those Filters will stay in place until you change them

## Beyond Quick Picks

- Many other Filters are available
- Click on Browse to see other Filters

## Browse Filter options

## LinkOut for Libraries

- Does your library provide a special Link for you to access PubMed – a link that allows you to access the full text of journal articles through the PubMed database?
- If so, your library may participate in LinkOut for Libraries. Consult your librarian for confirmation.
- Set a Filter for these in your My NCBI account in three easy steps

## First...

- Click Libraries from the Browse page

## Second, find your library

- Scroll down in the list of libraries until you find your library’s name
- For an example, using the U Mass Medical School Library:

- Click on the NAME of the library – not the globe

**Notes:**
The globe is a hyperlink that will take you to the library’s website

## Third...

- Click in *both* boxes
**Add a result tab**
**Add a link icon**

## You’re done!

## Now, search results show:

- A simple click on the **umasslib** tab gives access to all the citations that this library has Linked to PubMed

- NOTE: to actually *read* the electronic full text, I must be accessing PubMed via my library’s special URL

**Notes:**
Mouse-over the “umasslib” tab and a little box will pop up giving the full name of the institution

## Hey! Where’s my library?

- Didn’t find your library in the LinkOut list of libraries?
- But you still get access to electronic full text of journal articles through PubMed?
- Then your library may use an Outside Tool. Check with your librarian for confirmation.

## Outside Tool

- An “Outside Tool” is another way of providing full text access through PubMed. SFX is just one example of an Outside Tool.
- This is **not** a filter – so no tab will appear. But, it is possible to make your library’s icon appear in the AbstractPlus, Abstract, or Citation format for citations in PubMed.

- Click Outside Tool

## Locate your institution

- Use the alpha list to find your institution’s name

- Click the button next to the name to select it.

## See the icon

- Now, no matter what computer is used to search PubMed, your My NCBI account will allow you to see your library’s holdings.
- Set this up once – it stays active until you change it.

## Other Filters

- Subject related Filters are in the Properties group.
- Click Properties to see the list

## Explore Properties

- Click on a link to view the Filter options related to that sub-category

## For example....

- Interested in one of these links?
- One click on the link will bring you to a page where you can add this filter to your My NCBI account

## Take Note....

**5 filters** may be active at any given time
- Over 70 different Filter options are available

## View your Filter selections

## My Selections

- You can de-select Filters from this page, too, by unchecking any box.

## One last word on Filters

- Remember that filters float along on top of a search.
- Filters are independent of each other. Think of them as Boolean **OR**s, _not_ **AND**s.
- What this means: If a searcher sets filters for English language and Free full text, each group may be viewed separately – not together. There is no way to click on both tabs simultaneously.

## Tacking: the mechanics

- In order to see the articles that are English **AND** Free full text, you must tack the filters onto the search.

- Click on a tab. Look for the tack icon.

-  Now, click on the tack itself. Watch what happens in the search box.

## Tacking: the results

- Clicking the tack icon has “tacked” that filter onto the search strategy. See the search box now.
- This process may be repeated with other filters.
- This is also used for adding a filter to a search strategy in order to save the filter with the search.

## Beyond Filters

- Use My NCBI to save searches
- Have PubMed automatically email you updates

## Saving Searches

- Useful for current awareness
- Useful for receiving table of contents information from a journal
- Useful for tracking a subject over time
- Have PubMed automatically email updates

## Saving Searches: Step 1

- Develop a search strategy.
- Run the search.
- Click “Save Search”

## Saving Searches: Step 2

- A new window will open:

- You may edit the name of the search.
- This will not alter the search strategy itself in any way.
- The name of the search will be part of the subject line of automatic email updates.

- Indicate whether or not you would like to receive email updates of new search results.

**If** **yes**, more information is needed....

- You may edit the name of the search.
- This will not alter the search strategy itself in any way.
- The name of the search will be part of the subject line of automatic email updates.

**If no**, the search will be stored and you must update it manually at your convenience.

- You may edit the name of the search.
- This will not alter the search strategy itself in any way.
- The name of the search will be part of the subject line of automatic email updates.

- You may edit the name of the search.
- This will not alter the search strategy itself in any way.
- The name of the search will be part of the subject line of automatic email updates.

- Indicate whether or not you would like to receive email updates of new search results.

**If** **yes**, more information is needed....

**If no**, the search will be stored and you must update it manually at your convenience.

- Indicate whether or not you would like to receive email updates of new search results.

- You may edit the name of the search.
- This will not alter the search strategy itself in any way.
- The name of the search will be part of the subject line of automatic email updates.

- Indicate whether or not you would like to receive email updates of new search results.

## Step 3: Set schedule

- Recommended: The maximum number of items to send via email is set at 5. You can leave it there or choose a lower number. When PubMed emails you an update, it will provide a link to all the new citations. It’s not necessary to have them all sent to you email inbox.

- Set timing
- Set format (Summary, Abstract, Citation, etc.)
- Choose HTML or text email format
- Set maximum number of items to send
- Add additional text if desired
- Click OK

## You’re done!

- PubMed will email updates to the designated email address at the scheduled times.
- Note: Each My NCBI account can have **only 1** email address that will be used for _all_ automatic email updates. Email addresses must be confirmed by PubMed prior to sending any email updates.
- It may be necessary to add *mail.nih.gov* and *ncbi.nlm.nih.gov* to your email’s safe list to avoid your email system’s spam detector.

## Manually Updating Searches

- Access your My NCBI account to see your saved searches
- Check the box adjacent to a search then click “What’s new for selected” at the bottom of the page
- My NCBI will indicate if there are any new citations retrieved by the strategy since the last update

## Manually updating a search

- Clicking on the new items link will complete the update and your saved search list will reflect the date and time of the update.
- A search may also be deleted using this page.

## Additional Functions

- Click **search name** to run the search and retrieve total results (not limited to new citations). This will not affect future updates.

- Click on the frequency in the **Details** column to go to the Search Details page where changes may be made to scheduling, format, etc.

- Hold your cursor over the data in the **Last Updated** column to show the date the next email update will be sent, or in the case of No Schedule, the date you last manually generated new citations.

## Consider these things

- Saved search strategies _cannot_ be edited
- Out with the old, in with the new
- All email updates will be sent to _one_ email address
- A search must be _run_ before it can be saved.
- PubMed uses the search as it is stored in History

## Ta-dah! Searches with set numbers can be saved!

- This History:

- Produces this search:

- Which, when saved, produces this box. The default is to display the search with no Boolean connectors here. It is advised that the search be renamed something meaningful.

## 	My NCBI Collections

- Saving searches only deals with search *strategies*
- Collections saves selected search ***results***

## Why Collections?

- Clipboard will hold results - but only for a limited time
- Collections will hold results indefinitely
- Have access to those results anywhere you have access to your My NCBI account
- Useful for building a bibliography on a particular subject or by a particular author

## Create a Collection

- Select citations & send them to the Clipboard
- Access the Clipboard
- Use the “Send to My NCBI Collections” option
- A new pop-up window will appear...and.....

## Finish

**Start a new collection**: leave this as is

- When creating a new collection, **name** it here. If you choose to append, the names of all your collections will appear in a drop-down menu here.

- Check this box to have the **citations removed from the Clipboard** once they are moved to the Collection. Click OK to complete.

- You may choose to **add these citations to an existing collection**. Click this button and a list of your existing collections will appear. Choose the collection to which these citations will be added.

## Access your Collections

- Collections and Saved Searches appear together in your My NCBI account. Simply click “Collections” to access

## Sort collections alphabetically by name

- Sort collections by date modified or the number of items

- Mouse-over to see the date of the last modification

- Click to rename the collection or to see the citations in the collection

- Click collection name to display the items

- Delete an entire collection

- Merge two or more selected collections

## More info on Collections

*See the My NCBI section of the PubMed Help document for more information. Check out the Quick Tour!*

- The total number of Saved Searches plus Collections cannot exceed 100.
- 	If you need more, simply set up a new My NCBI account.
- The maximum number of citations that may be saved in any one Collection cannot exceed 1,500.
- Be careful when you name your Collections. Identical names are allowed and may create confusion.

## But wait! There’s more to My NCBI!

- 	Highlight your search terms in PubMed:

## Highlighting

- Click on User Preferences when you’re in your My NCBI account

## Pick your color

- Select the color highlighting you’d like. This will stay in effect until you change it.
- This is also where you may change the email address associated with this My NCBI account.

## Choose a display format

- The default in PubMed for viewing a single citation is AbstractPlus. This can also be changed in My NCBI

- Simply choose your preferred format from this drop down menu

## Note

- People may set up multiple My NCBI accounts
- Filter options, saved searches, collections and email address remain as set until you change them
- Customize PubMed

## 	Sharing My NCBI settings

- Effective 9-1-2005, a My NCBI account may be shared
- Users will access PubMed via a special URL which will automatically activate the shared settings.
- This will be useful to Librarians, primarily, but may be of interest to work groups with common/shared information needs

## WHY??

- Gives users the benefits of My NCBI
- Filters
- LinkOut for Libraries settings
- Outside Tool settings
- Highlighting
- Without having to:
- Remember a log in name and password
- Know how to set up and configure a My NCBI account of their own

## Setting up a Shared account

- Register for a My NCBI account
- This is the same as any registration
- Write down the user name and password, just like you did before
- If you supply an email address for this account, make sure to watch for the email confirmation and validate the email address
- Set up needed filters and other options

## Sharing Filters

- In order to share filters, look for and check this box
- Once checked, the chosen filters will be shared with anyone using the account

## Share Outside Tool or Document Delivery Settings, too

- These services, if set up in your library, may also be shared
- This box *must* be checked

## Share highlighting, too

## Configure shared settings

- Choose filters to be shared
- Make your choices
- Include LinkOut for Libraries if appropriate
- Include Free Full Text, perhaps
- Choose the filters that will be most helpful to the majority of your users
- If appropriate, set up Outside Tool or Document Delivery settings

## Write URL

- Format for this URL will be:
- _[http://www.ncbi.mln.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?myncbishare=username](http://www.ncbi.mln.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?myncbishare=username)_
*Username = *the shared My NCBI account Sign in name
- Have your patrons access PubMed via this URL. Shared My NCBI settings will be activated automatically.

## But, what about --- ???

- If you already have a LinkOut for Libraries URL, then the &myncbishare=*username *can be added onto that same URL:
- _[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=lib&myncbishare=username)__[lib](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=lib&myncbishare=username)__[&myncbishare=](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=lib&myncbishare=username)__[username](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=lib&myncbishare=username)_
- This will activate the icons for LinkOut for Libraries as well as share the settings in the shared My NCBI account.

## Attention

- Users accessing PubMed via special URL for sharing a My NCBI account:
- Are NOT logged into My NCBI
- Will NOT see a “Welcome [username]” in the My NCBI box in the upper right hand corner of the PubMed screen – They will just see the shared filters pop up in their search results.

## NOTE

- What if my user already has their own My NCBI account?
- They can still access PubMed via that special URL
- AND they can log into their own existing My NCBI account – just like always.
- Their own personal My NCBI settings will take effect

## New accounts & the URL

- What if my users access via the URL for the shared My NCBI account and then register for their *own* My NCBI account?
- This is not a problem – users can still set up accounts with My NCBI
- The settings from the shared account will automatically be copied into the My NCBI account being created
- The user may then choose to edit those choices or leave them as is

## Questions?

- See the Tutorials section of PubMed for QuickTours of My NCBI. The tutorials are available via a link on the blue side bar of any PubMed page.
- See the PubMed Help chapter on My NCBI _[http://](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=helpmyncbi.chapter.MyNCBI)__[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=helpmyncbi.chapter.MyNCBI)__[=](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=helpmyncbi.chapter.MyNCBI)__[helpmyncbi.chapter.MyNCBI](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=helpmyncbi.chapter.MyNCBI)_
- See the Education Section of the NER website for additional information on using PubMed _[http://](http://nnlm.gov/ner)__[nnlm.gov/ner](http://nnlm.gov/ner)_
- Contact the NER at 1-800-338-7657