Skip to Main Content
Becker Medical Library logotype
Library Quicklinks and Information

Manuscript Preparation Resources: Preparing for Publication

Reporting of Research Guidelines

Books

Recommendations for Authors: MeSH Terms for Your Title and Abstract

Do your title and abstract have MeSH terms or other controlled vocabulary? Why is this important? As of mid-2022, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) will be assigned to works published in MEDLINE-indexed journals using an automated indexing process. The automated indexing is based on an algorithm using the title and an abstract of the work to produce a list of MeSH terms.

Recommendation for Authors:

Formulate a clear title and abstract that contains at least one MeSH term.

Tools:

  • Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) Browser: The MeSH Browser allows for searching of MeSH terms.
  • MeSH on Demand: MeSH on Demand identifies MeSH terms in your submitted text (abstract or manuscript). MeSH on Demand also lists PubMed similar articles relevant to your submitted text.

For more information, see: Frequently Asked Questions about Indexing for MEDLINE.

Citation/Style Guides

Readings

The Writing Center at WU

The Writing Center and The Speaking Studio at Washington University in St. Louis provides free, one-on-one tutoring to all WU students and faculty for writing or public speaking projects. Workshops are also available.

The Writing Center and Speaking Studio is located at the northwest corner of Olin Library on the Danforth Campus.