Databases: MEDLINE Reload 2010

Please note that initial standing order deliveries may work out more extensive than usual, because no more new completely indexed documents have been incorporated since 18th November 2009.

MeSH 2010

The MeSH 2010 contains 422 new descriptors for concepts from various different fields (above all amino acid peptides, proteins; diseases; Enzymes and Coenzymes; Eukaryota; Bacteria; viruses). 72 headings were modified or deleted. Some combinations of MeSH headings or MeSH headings with qualifiers (subheadings) will be substituted by pre-coordinated descriptors from 2010.

Below are the eighteen combinations new for 2010:

Selected changes: terms

The old heading Protozoa was deleted and replaced by Eukaryota. The Protozoa tree was disassembled and the vast majority of newly created taxonomic headings and headings previously treed under Protozoa are retreed in various groups under Eukaryota. Protozoa now maps to the subheading/parasitology. Protozoa and its indentions were also indexed with Animals in the past. For MeSH 2010 this coordination is no longer in effect for the heading Eukaryota and its indentions. In MeSH 2010 precoordinated headings related to Protozoa still exist, e.g. Antibiodies, Protozoan or DNA, Protozoan.

Selected changes: data fields:

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Abbreviations were added to documents.
Linking ISSN data will be included: ISSN Linking is the ISSN designated by the ISSN International Centre to enable collocation or linking among the different media versions of a resource. Separate ISSNs are assigned for each media type in which a resource is issued. 

Adjust your search strategies and standing orders

New descriptors will not be assigned retrospectively meaning that they can only be used to find documents from 2010. Whereas MeSH terms will be retrospectively implemented for the entire stock. More details on this can be found along with a list of the new descriptors on the webpages of NLM (see link below).

All changes to the MeSH may apply to your current standing order profile meaning that changes may be necessary. Most importantly, the substitution of mainheading/subheading combinations may lead to a loss of information, because no documents can be identified with the original combinations.

Where possible, as in previous years we will inform you which of your standing orders will have to be changed because of the MeSH conversion.