How to Search EBSCOHost CINAHL
Break down your subject into separate topics, select a CINAHL heading for each topic,
get the number of articles on each topic, and then combine to retrieve the articles on
your subject.
Use CINAHL Headings (search terms that describe the content of the article) to search
comprehensively
To search using CINAHL Headings:
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Click on the CINAHL Headings tab
Click on the Term Contains button
Type your topic into the Browse box (e.g. Staff Development)
Click on the appropriate heading (staff development). Do not click the box next
to the heading at this point
Read the Scope for a definition
Click on the Explode box if you want to include more specific related terms (e.g.
employee Orientation, Mass Casualty Training) indented underneath
Click on the Major Concept box to limit to articles in which your topic is a major
focus (to include articles in which your topic is discussed but is not the major
focus, do not check the Major Concept box
Click on one of more Qualify Subheadings boxes to limit to a specific aspect of
your topic. Do not select any to include them all
Check the box next to your selected heading (Staff Development)
Click on Search Database
Click on Clear
Click on the CINAHL Headings tab
Click on the Term Contains button
Type your next topic into the Browse box (e.g. special hospitals)
Click on the appropriate heading (Hospitals, Special). Do not click on the box
next to the heading at this point
Read the Scope for a definition, year the heading entered the system, etc.
Click on the boxes next to Major Concept/Explode if appropriate
Check the box next to your selected heading (Hospitals, Special)
Click on Search Database
Click on Clear
Repeat this process for as many topics as needed
To combine your topics to retrieve the articles that discuss all your topics in the same
article:
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Click on Search History/Alerts
Click on the boxes next to the Search Terms that you want discussed in the
article (e.g. Staff development and Hospitals, Special).
Click on Search with AND
Click on Search
Click on View Results to view the results of your combined search.
To combine topics that will retrieve articles on one or more or all of your topics:
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Click on Search History/Alerts
Click on the boxes next to the Search Terms that you want articles on
Click on Search with OR
This will retrieve articles that are on one or more of all your topics.
For example: the following will be retrieved:
All articles that discuss Staff Development
All articles that discuss Hospitals, Special
All articles that discuss Staff Development and Hospitals, Special in the
same article
To search with Keywords for a topic that is too new or too specific to be a CINAHL
Heading:
1. Type your word(s) into the Search box in the exact order in which you want them
to appear in a title or abstract of an article. Use * to pick up various word
endings(e.g., hurricane Katrina)
2. Click on Search
To Limit a Search:
1. Click on Search History/Alerts
2. Click on Revise Search across from the Search ID# you want to limit
3. Click on Advanced Search
4. Select one or more Limits
5. Click Search
To retrieve the most current references that have not yet been indexed [this is a very
small file and should be done in addition to but not replacing a search using CINAHL
Headings]
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Type the word(s) you would like to appear in the title or abstract of an article into
the Search box. Do this in the exact order you want the words to appear.
Use * to pick up various word endings (e.g. hurricane Katrina*)
Click on Revise Search across from the appropriate Search ID# (e.g. hurricane
Katrina*)
Click on the box next to Exclude Pre-CINAHL
Click on Search
Click on Clear
Click on Search History/Alerts
Click on Revise Search across from the appropriate Search ID# (e.g. hurricane
Katrina*)
Remove the check mark from the Exclude Pre-CINAHL box
Click on Search
Click on Clear
Type the Search ID# for hurricane Katrina* and the Search ID# for black box*
Exclude Pre-CINAHL into the first row of the Search box. If hurricane Katrina* is
Search ID #S1 and hurricane Katrina* Exclude Pre-CINAHL is Search ID #S2
you would type the following into the Search box:
S1 not S2
Then click on Search
To conduct an author search:
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Type the last name and first initial into the Search box
Select AU Author from the Select a Field box
Select OR from the AND box
Type the last name, first, and middle initial into the Search box
Select AU Author from the Select a Field box
Click Search
To export references to RefWorks:
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Click on Search History/Alerts
Click on View Results next to the appropriate search
Place the references you want to send to RefWorks into a folder by clicking on
Add to Folder
When you are finished selecting references, click on the Folder icon at the top of
the page
Click on the Select/deselect all box
Click on the Export icon
Select Direct Export to RefWorks
Click Save
To save a search:
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Click on Sign in to My EBSCOHost
Create your own User Name and Password
Click on Search History/Alerts
Click on Save Searches/Alerts
Answer the questions under Create or Edit Saved Searches
Click Save
To retrieve a saved search:
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Sign in to MY EBSCOHost
Click on Search History/Alerts
Click on Retrieve Searches
Select the saved search you want to run and then click on Retrieve Saved
Search.