Clinical Queries Are Effective

The use of the clinical queries filters is strongly recommended by proponents of evidence-based medicine and is often taught in courses for physicians about literature searching. Our results support the use of this PubMed filter.

The authors also point out that the filters were infrequently used by the sample.  Unless you know they're there, they're difficult to stumble upon.  Perhaps they can be integrated into the main search in some way.  

 The abstract in PubMed.

Kidney Transplantation Filter

Here's the McMaster group's attempt to develop sensitive and specific Medline and Embase search filters for kidney transplantation. Rigorous methodology.  

RCT [pt]

Not a surprise, but this study demonstrates that the randomized controlled trial publication type in PubMed is insensitive.  Bottom line: Don't rely on it entirely.  Use a validated filter whenever possible (like one from this excellent paper that compares and validates 38 RCT filters).  

PubMed Search Builder Tutorial

When I point this out in sessions, it's usually within the context of [ti], [tiab], [au], and [journal] searches.  

Key Medline Indicators

In FY2011, there were 1.8 billion PubMed searches.  That's amazing.  As is the upward trend in searches over the last few years.  I've certainly contributed my fair share to the cause.