Advanced Search Techniques with EBSCOhost: Exploring CINAHL
BACKGROUND NOTE: After selecting the “Databases for Nursing” cluster from
EBSCOhost offerings, select CINAHL as your database of interest through the “Choose
Databases” option. You may also reach CINAHL as a stand-alone database through the
library website (http://www.mtmercy.edu/busselibrary/journ.html).
The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) is the world’s
most comprehensive source for allied health literature and full-text nursing journals. The
source provides complete coverage for 600 journals and indexes 3,000 titles. Full text
coverage dates from 1981.
I.
Explore Possible Publications: What journals are contained in the
CINAHL database?
To see a list of publications associated with the database, select “Publications” from the
blue EBSCO masthead at the top of the screen. On the succeeding page, enter a title of
interest in the search field (example shown, “American Journal of Public Health.”)
Choose your title of choice from the produced results list; any title then displays a
holdings record as shown. Details include the title’s publishing history and its inclusion
dates for the database. Select a year of interest from the right roster (“All Issues”) and
then an issue of interest. The next screen will show only the contents of that particular
issue.
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II.
Explore Subject Terms: How do I narrow or select appropriate search
terms within CINAHL?
EBSCOhost allows users to explore the indexing of concepts by selecting “CINAHL
headings” from the blue masthead. CINAHL headings follow the structure of the MeSH
thesaurus, an international standard used by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to
catalog materials and to index articles for databases. The thesaurus features a controlled
vocabulary -- a consistent way of retrieving information that may use different terminology
for the same concept. Each bibliographic record in CINAHL is associated with a set of
subject terms to describe the content of the article. There are 25,186 descriptors in the 2009
edition of MeSH and 12,714 CINAHL subject headings. CINAHL accepts MeSH
descriptors as the standard vocabulary for disease, drug, anatomical, and physiological
concepts.
The search parameters offer an alphabetical method (“Term Begins With”), a keyword
method (“Term Contains”), and a relevancy ranking, the default option. Choose your
approach and insert a concept/term of interest. If the database offers alternative phrasing for
your concept (example: “Cancer”), you will see the preferred terminology [the controlled
vocabulary] within the database. Now select the appropriate heading to view the topic’s
representation (example: “Chemotherapy, Cancer”).
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The left-hand column displays the topic in the system of MeSH (Medical Subject Headings),
where descriptors are arranged in both an alphabetic and hierarchical structure. Searching
can be conducted at various levels of detail from the most general (top of tree) to a more
narrow level, as one looks for more precise terms. In the hierarchy, the term being searched
will be displayed with broader (more general) headings above it and narrower (more specific)
headings below it. If a plus sign (+) appears next to a narrower or related term, there are
narrower terms below it. Subheadings are displayed on the right; the “scope” note offers a
definition of the associated term.
A “history note” will detail any changes to the topic’s representation in the MeSH
organization scheme. Related headings may include Iowa NIC terminology; selecting any
term of choice (designated by the gray stripe or by activating the “Major Concept” option)
will produce that topic’s reference within various Iowa NIC editions. The Saba CCC
(Clinical Care Classification System) is recognized as the terminology of choice for
electronic health records and offers a coding structure for all health care settings.
The “Explode” option will offer all references indexed to that term, as well as all references
indexed to any narrower subject terms. When you select Major Concept for a term, you
create a search query that finds only records for which the subject heading is a major point of
the article. Searches are limited with specific qualifiers (subheadings) to improve the
precision of the search and are limited to major subject headings that indicate the main
concept of an article.
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To retrieve results with your term as a subject heading, select the box to the left of your term
(gray banner). To retrieve results in which your topic is the major point of the article, select
“Major Concept.” Select any qualifying subheadings of note for your topic and indicate
your preference for a search (Explode OR Major Concept). Now combine the subheadings
and search preference with a Boolean operator (and,or,not) and press “Search Database.”
The resulting literature will fit those intentions.
III. Cited References: How do I track an author’s citations through a database?
Extensive research often requires a comprehensive literature review, demanding that a
searcher determines and locates not only the significant studies on a given topic, but also
moves through relevant citations (bibliographies) of these documents to note earlier and
influential research. If a distinguished researcher is associated with your topic, you can
use that name within the “Advanced Search” window to locate texts which he or she
authored or co-authored. Assign your researcher as the “Author” in your search,
employing the “AU” field selection from the right-hand offerings.
However, if you wish to determine how often (and in what manner) the author has been
cited (reference by others), select “Cited References” in CINAHL’s blue masthead.
Searches are available using an author’s name, journal title (“Source”), title of the article,
date of publication, and an all-encompassing citation search. Search results then reflect
indexed citations; to see the original articles offering the citations, check applicable boxes
and then select “Find Citing Articles.” Your author’s citation is then included in this
article’s bibliography.
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IV. Creating Folders: How do I organize and store search results for future use?
Projects requiring more than a single research session with EBSCOhost do benefit from
creating folders to organize and store your search results. After performing any search of
interest, mark your pertinent search results by selecting “Add to Folder” (gold folder icon)
under any citation/abstract. The database will then indicate that the item has been marked
for saving; the right frame also notes (in gold bar) that the “Folder has items.” When you
have finished marking records, select either the “Folder View” option in the right frame or
“Folder” from the blue masthead at the top of the screen. The succeeding page will show
your marked items; the user must then print, save, or email the records. Performing any of
these actions will (potentially) remove all records from your folder. If you wish to save the
records for future use, create an account and then build a library of folders for your needs.
To “store these items in a folder for a future session,” sign in to My EBSCOhost. Select “I
am a new user” on the next screen and enter required information. With the account
created, now log in and make a folder to hold your results. Select “new” (across from “My
Custom”) to name a new folder; insert name and select “save.” The new folder then appears
in your roster. Select any combination of search results or mark all of them; then either
prompt the database to copy the results (“Copy To”) or to move the results (“Move To”) and
select your folder of choice. Select a folder’s name to see “Edit” and “Share” options; “edit”
allows for renaming and “share” allows for emailing of full folder contents. The term
“Articles” will then indicate how many citations are included in the folder.