PubMed
Bethesda, Maryland, United States
What it is
PubMed is a free resource for searching and retrieving biomedical and life sciences literature. It contains more than 40 million citations and abstracts from MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Bookshelf, covering journal literature, books, and book chapters. PubMed does not include full-text journal articles, though its records often link to full text elsewhere, where a fee or subscription may apply. Search tools include Advanced Search, Clinical Queries, Single Citation Matcher, and Batch Citation Matcher. Best Match ranking, autocomplete, spell checking, and a citation sensor assist with searches, while filters can narrow results by publication date, text availability, article type, language, species, sex, age, and other criteria. Citation pages include a Similar Articles section with pre-calculated related citations. Users can export citations to citation management software and receive email updates when new results are available for a search. The E-utilities API provides data access, and downloads are available through FTP and the Batch Citation Matcher. PubMed was developed and is maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.
For and against
For
- Free access to more than 40 million citations and abstracts
- Includes advanced search and specialized citation tools
- Offers citation exports and email updates
- Provides API access and data downloads
Against
- Does not include full-text journal articles
- Some linked full text may require a fee or subscription
The verdict
PubMed offers a broad search collection with multiple ways to refine, save, export, and retrieve citation data. Readers seeking full text may need to follow links to other sources, where access can carry a fee or subscription.
Who it suits
PubMed suits people searching biomedical and life sciences literature, including users who need citation records, abstracts, search filters, or citation exports. It can also support programmatic access through its E-utilities API.
Plans and prices
PubMed
Free resource for searching and retrieving biomedical and life sciences literature
Read 5 Oct 2026 · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
On the record
- API
- PubMed provides the E-utilities API for accessing its data.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Collection
- PubMed contains more than 40 million citations and abstracts from biomedical literature.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Content sources
- PubMed includes citations from MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Bookshelf.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Download
- PubMed provides data downloads through FTP and a Batch Citation Matcher.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Email updates
- Users can receive email updates when new results are available for a search.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Export
- PubMed provides options to export citations to citation management software.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Filters
- Search results can be filtered by publication date, text availability, article type, language, species, sex, age, and other criteria.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Full text
- PubMed does not include full-text journal articles, but records often link to full text available from other sources.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Limit
- Some linked full-text journal sites may require a fee or subscription.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- PubMed was developed and is maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- NLM states that it does not collect personally identifiable information during a site visit unless the visitor explicitly provides it.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- PubMed supports searching and retrieving biomedical and life sciences literature to help improve health.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Related citations
- Citation abstract pages include a Similar Articles section with a pre-calculated set of closely related PubMed citations.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Search assistance
- Search features include Best Match ranking, autocomplete suggestions, spell checking, and a citation sensor.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
- Search tools
- PubMed offers Advanced Search, Clinical Queries, Single Citation Matcher, and Batch Citation Matcher.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · read 5 Oct 2026
