CINAHL stands for the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature. It indexes and abstracts articles from nearly 800 nursing, biomedical, and consumer health journals, as well as publications of the American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing. CINAHL uses its own thesaurus terms to help you build a search, but they are related to MeSH headings.
In addition to journal articles, material includes Evidence-Based Care Sheets and Quick Lessons which provide concise overviews of diseases and conditions and outline the most effective treatment options.
The CINAHL Search Screen
The search screen below is the starting point for all CINAHL database searches. The entire screen is divided into three sections. The top section (1) has the search boxes where search terms can be entered. The middle section (2) allows the searcher to select different options to apply to a search. The bottom section (3) displays all the limiters the searcher can apply to a search strategy.
To begin searching, type a subject term into the first search box on the screen. Click Search.
CINAHL Headings
CINAHL headings are located on the top navigation bar. A keyword search will return a list of the most relevant term for your search. In most instances, the most relevant term will be at the top of the list.
The Explode and Major Concept columns give options for broadening and/or narrowing the search. The Explode box, when available, will include search terms that are more narrow for the term pain in the set of results it retrieves. Major Concept retrieves articles in which a significant portion of the article is devoted to that term. Once you have determined whether or not to check the Explode or Major Concept column, select the box in front of the term pain, and click Search Database at the right side of the screen.
The results from your first search are displayed on the screen. To add a second subject to the search, click the clear button. Then type your other keyword in the box and click Search.
Select any relevant terms and click "Search database." Once viewing your results, click Search History located below the trio of search boxes.
Both searches are displayed as lines S1(first search term) and S2 (second search term). To find the articles that discuss both subjects, first clear the search box near the top of the screen. Then combine S1 with S2 by checking the box in front of each set and clicking the Search with AND button.
(S1 and S2) will appear in the search box, and the results of that search will appear in your Search History.
Scroll down the page to view your search results.
Users can limit the number of results generated by a search by setting Limits. Limits can be found on the search results screen, once a search has been completed.
On the left side of the screen, users can limit by Publication Type, Subject Heading, Publication Year, Age, Gender, etc. The limits shown at left can be expanded and contracted by using the arrow icons at the top of each section.
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