Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)Presentation OutlineMeSH - What Is It?How Was MeSH Created?MeSH - How Is It Maintained?MeSH- How it can be applied to organize information? - IMeSH- How it can be applied to organize information? - IIMeSH- How it can be applied to organize information? - IIIMeSH- What is the relevance to Information Architecture? - IMeSH- What is the relevance to Information Architecture? - IIProblem of LanguageFuture Trends / ResearchClass Activity - Let's Perform a Search in Pub MedSlide 14Medical Subject Medical Subject Headings Headings (MeSH)(MeSH)Rishi AnandRishi AnandTodd BaileyTodd BaileySumit GuptaSumit GuptaPresentation Outline Presentation Outline Definition, Development, & Definition, Development, & Maintenance of MesH - ToddMaintenance of MesH - ToddTheory & Structure of Mesh - RishiTheory & Structure of Mesh - RishiApplication & Relevance to Application & Relevance to Information Architecture - SumitInformation Architecture - SumitFuture Trends/Research - SumitFuture Trends/Research - SumitClass Actitivity - TeamClass Actitivity - TeamQ&As - TeamQ&As - TeamMeSH - What Is It? MeSH - What Is It? A controlled vocabulary thesaurus developed A controlled vocabulary thesaurus developed by the National Library of Medicine for by the National Library of Medicine for indexing bio-medical literature.indexing bio-medical literature.used by the MEDLINE/PubMed article database and used by the MEDLINE/PubMed article database and by NLM's catalog of booksby NLM's catalog of bookstakes guesswork out of choosing terms one needs to takes guesswork out of choosing terms one needs to enter into a search; identifies the appropriate enter into a search; identifies the appropriate (preferred) term to use when looking for (preferred) term to use when looking for informationinformationHow Was MeSH Created? How Was MeSH Created? 1874 - John Shaw Billings produces the 1874 - John Shaw Billings produces the Index Catalogue of theIndex Catalogue of the 99 999 99999 99 999 99999 Library of the Surgeon-GeneralLibrary of the Surgeon-General1879 - 1879 - Index Medicus Index Medicus is published as a monthly is published as a monthly comprehensive comprehensive 99 999 99999 index of medical journal articles 99 999 99999 index of medical journal articles 1927 - I1927 - Index Medicusndex Medicus is merged with the American Medical is merged with the American Medical 99999999999Association's competing bibliography and renamed 99999999999Association's competing bibliography and renamed 9999999999999999999999Quarterly Cummulative Index MedicusQuarterly Cummulative Index Medicus1951 - Colonel Frank Rogers produces 1951 - Colonel Frank Rogers produces Current List of Current List of Medical Literature,Medical Literature, a a standardized list of subject headings standardized list of subject headings 1960 - Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System 1960 - Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) is (MEDLARS) is developed, as part of this effort a MeSH developed, as part of this effort a MeSH database is also developeddatabase is also developed with a new and thoroughly 9revised list of subject with a new and thoroughly 9revised list of subject headingsheadings1963 - MeSH database is updated with "Tree Structure" 1963 - MeSH database is updated with "Tree Structure"MeSH - How Is It MeSH - How Is It Maintained? Maintained? Medical Subject Headings staff continually Medical Subject Headings staff continually revise and update the MeSH vocabulary revise and update the MeSH vocabulary staff collects new terms as they appear in the staff collects new terms as they appear in the scientific literature or in emerging areas of scientific literature or in emerging areas of researchresearchstaff defines terms within the context of staff defines terms within the context of existing vocabulary; and recommend their existing vocabulary; and recommend their addition to MeSH addition to MeSH consultants also advise and offer consultants also advise and offer recommendations recommendationsMeSH- How it can be MeSH- How it can be applied to organize applied to organize information? - Iinformation? - IThe 17,000 word MeSH vocabulary is divided The 17,000 word MeSH vocabulary is divided into complex hierarchical tree structure. into complex hierarchical tree structure. There are 16 main top level categories in the There are 16 main top level categories in the hierarchical structure which further give rise hierarchical structure which further give rise to branch like tree structure sub categories in to branch like tree structure sub categories in order of their increasing specificity.order of their increasing specificity.The MeSH tree structure allows to find The MeSH tree structure allows to find relevant MeSH terms and corresponding relevant MeSH terms and corresponding articles in PubMed even when only general articles in PubMed even when only general concept areas are known.concept areas are known.MeSH- How it can be MeSH- How it can be applied to organize applied to organize information? - IIinformation? - IIThe MeSH hierarchical tree structure allows The MeSH hierarchical tree structure allows to to have a control on both precision and recall.have a control on both precision and recall.Recall- The MeSH allows to broaden the domain Recall- The MeSH allows to broaden the domain and increase the recall by fetching the related and increase the recall by fetching the related articles as well.articles as well.Precision- The MeSH tree structure leads to Precision- The MeSH tree structure leads to specificity and hence increases precision.specificity and hence increases precision.For a proficient MEDLINE searcher - Right For a proficient MEDLINE searcher - Right balance needed between precision and balance needed between precision and recall.9recall.9MeSH- How it can be MeSH- How it can be applied to organize applied to organize information? - IIIinformation? - IIIDescriptorsDescriptors- Also known as Main Headings, Descriptors are - Also known as Main Headings, Descriptors are used to index citations in NLM's MEDLINE database, for used to index citations in NLM's MEDLINE database, for cataloging of9publications, and other databases. cataloging of9publications, and other databases. Publication Characteristics- Publication Characteristics- Although MeSH Descriptors, Although MeSH Descriptors, these