Citation Glossary

PMID (PubMed Identifier)

A unique number assigned to each article indexed in the PubMed database of biomedical literature. Used to locate and cite medical research papers.

Why it matters

PMIDs provide a direct, unambiguous way to locate medical and biomedical research in PubMed, the most widely used database in health sciences. Including a PMID in your notes or reference management system ensures you can always retrieve the correct article, even if the journal changes its website structure.

How to use

Search PubMed (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) to find a PMID for any indexed article. You can enter a PMID directly into PubMed's search bar to jump to the article record. While most citation styles do not require the PMID in the formatted reference, some medical journals and styles like Vancouver do recommend including it.

In academic writing

Students in medicine, nursing, public health, and the life sciences use PMIDs daily when conducting literature searches. PMIDs are particularly helpful during systematic reviews when you need to track and de-duplicate hundreds of articles. Many reference managers can import full citation data from just a PMID.

Common mistakes

•Confusing PMID with PMCID (PMC ID) — a PMID identifies the PubMed record while a PMCID identifies the free full-text version in PubMed Central.
•Assuming every article has a PMID — only articles indexed in PubMed receive one.
•Using the PMID as a substitute for a DOI in the reference list when the citation style requires a DOI.