Search the translated English title together with the author names and publication year, then confirm the match by checking the record for an original-language title field. That combination narrows results to the specific paper while the original-language field lets you verify you have the source record, not a translation or a different article.
- Run a phrase search on the translated title in a database that supports field tags and phrase searching, such as PubMed or Europe PMC, and add the author surnames and year. Expected result: a short list of candidate records rather than a broad topic list.
- Open each candidate and look for an original-language title field or the title as printed in the source language. Expected result: one record whose authors, year, and subject match your translated title.
- If the English title returns nothing, repeat the search using the author names and year alone, then scan the results for the matching article. Expected result: the record surfaces through author and date even when the translated title does not match the indexed title.
- Copy the citation details from the confirmed record, including the original-language title, and note which language the title is in. Expected result: you hold the original citation and know how the title should be presented.
Presenting the title
Citing Medicine, the NLM style guide, provides structured rules and examples for citing journal articles and other publication types. Use its journal-article examples to format the citation, and keep the original-language title as it appears in the record so the citation points to the published version.
When the search stays unresolved
If neither the translated title nor the author-and-year search produces a matching record, treat the citation as unresolved and verify the details against another source, such as the publisher page or a full-text copy, before citing it.