Dataset of breath research manuscripts curated using PubMed search strings from 1995–2016

The data contained in this article are PubMed search strings and search string builders used to curate breath research manuscripts published from 1995–2016 and the respective number of articles found that satisfied the search requirements for selected categories. Breath sampling represents a non-invasive technique that has gained usefulness for public health, clinical, diagnostic, and environmental exposure assessment applications over the years. This data article includes search strings that were utilized to retrieve publications through the PubMed database for different breath research-related topics that were related to the analysis of exhaled breath, exhaled breath condensate (EBC), and exhaled breath aerosol (EBA) as well as the analysis of cellular headspace. Manuscripts were curated for topics including EBC, EBA, Direct MS, GC–MS, LC-MS, alcohol, and sensors. A summary of the number of papers published per year for the data retrieved using each of the search strings is also included. These data can be utilized to discern trends in the number of breath research publications in each of the different topics over time. A supplementary Appendix A containing the titles, author lists, journal names, publication dates, PMID numbers, and EntrezUID numbers for each of the journal articles curated using the finalized search strings for the seven breath research-related topics can also be found within this article. The selected manuscripts can be used to explore the impact that breath research has had on expanding the scientific knowledge in each of the investigated topics.