Introduction | Accessing | Searching | Search
Results | Search Tips
Introduction
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The CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health) database contains
bibliographic references to nearly 900 nursing, allied health, biomedical,
and consumer health journals. It also includes books, dissertations, standards
of professional practice, and educational software.
Subject coverage includes emergency services, occupational therapy, physical
therapy, respiratory therapy, surgical technology and the physician's assistant.
The database has selective coverage of journals in biomedicine, behavioral
sciences, management, and education. It includes publications from 1982 to present,
and is updated monthly. Currently the NSU Libraries access CINAHL through EBSCOhost
Research Databases.
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Accessing
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This database may be accessed from the Databases page of the Electronic Resources section of the NSU Alvin Sherman Library website.
For more on how to access databases visit http://www.nova.edu/library/dils/lessons/electroniclibrary/
After connecting to EBSCOhost, you will need to do one of the following
- click on the CINAHL link–each database name is a link
- deselect any databases that are already selected, select the CINAHL database
and click the Continue button
Select CINAHL from the list of EBSCOhost databases.
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Searching
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To construct an Advanced Search in CINAHL
- type your search term(s) in the entry box
- click the Search button
Searching in CINAHL.
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Search Results
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Search results will vary. If you get:
- No records matched your search, then check your spelling
or the fields you searched in.
- Too many, then go back and limit your search. Sometimes a
search needs to be modified with: additional search words, searching
only a specific field, adding date limitations, or type of materials.
- Too few, then go back and expand your search. Consider synonyms
for your search words or concepts. Try to use professional language
or terminology.
- Irrelevant results, then try new search terms. Consider synonyms
or related concepts. Identify and search using descriptors. Try a different
database.
A Search History/Alerts screen will display
- search terms as processed by the database
- number of matching results
- options to revise or delete the search
Search History/Alerts screen in CINAHL.
To display the items that matched the search terms
- click the number in the results column–this will vary depending on
how many items matched the search terms
A list of search results matching your search terms will be displayed. The
results page shows
- citations for items that matched the search terms
- availability information as appropriate
- HTML Full Text
- PDF Full Text
- Linked Full Text
- Check Library Catalog–to determine if the NSU Libraries subscribe
to the journal in print format
Search results list in CINAHL.
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Search Tips
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Use advanced search features to modify a search to obtain more successful search
results. You can combine advanced search features to modify and improve your
search. Advanced search features often include:
- phrase or proximity searching
- field searching
- date
- document and/or publication type
- Boolean operators
- plurals and truncation
One useful tip when searching any electronic database is to leave out articles,
prepositions, and very abstract or general terms–they confuse the database's
search engine.
For example, if the paper is on "The Impact of Mainstreaming Students
in Math Classes,” use the most precise terms like mainstreaming and mathematics
and skip impact, the, of, and in.
Modify searches in CINAHL by using one or more of the following
- enter multiple search terms or concepts
- combine terms using Boolean operators
- limit search terms using field searching
- refine searches with limiters, such as date, full text, publication type,
language, gender, etc.
Modifying a search in CINAHL.
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