PubMed Export Guide
How to Export PubMed Results for a Systematic Review
PubMed exports are straightforward if you choose the right format. For most screening workflows, the safest option is PubMed's native .nbib format.
Best Default
Use Save → PubMed to create an .nbib file. It is built for bibliographic transfer and preserves the metadata screening tools expect.
Use CSV only when you explicitly want spreadsheet-style columns.
Step-by-Step PubMed Export
- 1.Run your search in PubMed and review the result count.
- 2.Click Save near the top of the results page.
- 3.Select All results or choose the exact range you want to export.
- 4.Choose PubMed for an .nbib file, or CSV if you need spreadsheet output.
- 5.Click Create file and keep the exported file unchanged until import.
Which Format Should You Choose?
`.nbib`
Best default for systematic review imports. It is compact, metadata-rich, and maps well to screening tools.
CSV
Useful when you need spreadsheet columns, but less ideal than `.nbib` for preserving bibliographic structure.
Common PubMed Export Problems
Large result sets: if the search is very large, export in ranges and label the files clearly.
Edited files: avoid opening and resaving the export in spreadsheet software before import.
Mixed source files: keep PubMed exports separate from other databases, then let the screening tool deduplicate during import.
What to Do Next
After export, upload the file into Lumina or follow the parent guide for multi-database workflows.