open.fda.gov JSON search terms

Question

I am interested in finding a list of valid search terms for the JSON query tool. The query syntax examples are clear, but knowing what terms to use with the syntax remains a mystery. Is there a listing of "topics" to use with the open.fda.gov data base? If so, how can I access it?

Answer 1

See my answers to a question similar to yours here: 'Where is the list of fields available through the openFDA API?'. You could also just do a query for a random event report like https://api.fda.gov/drug/event.json?limit=5&search=morphine and then use a JSON visualizer such as jsonviewer.stack.hu look at the structure and fields in a more friendly way.

Hope this helps!

EDIT: Also, see https://open.fda.gov/drug/event/reference/ which includes an anatomy of a typical response.

Answer 2

Almost every field (let us know if we're missing any) in the openFDA APIs is documented at the http://open.fda.gov website. However, only some fields have a unique and consistent set of values. For example, for drug adverse events, the primarysource.qualification field may be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. For other fields, the value is arbitrary free text, and there are nearly infinite possibilities for what values the field might contain.

Use the API reference pages for the best available documentation on the fields and searchable values.