CINAHL Searching

Basic searching is a first step in browsing the databases. Your searching can be broader with keywords or search terms from your research question. The database can match your search terms/key words with many different fields and can yield numerous results. This link and video can help you with your basic search. 

For more specific results read the Search Filters and Advance Searching pages on the menu to the left.

 

DO ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING, AS APPROPRIATE (shown in screenshots above)

• Check the box beside Evidence-Based Practice.
• Select a Special Interest.
• Select a Publication Type of Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, Meta-Synthesis, Practice Guidelines, or Randomized Controlled Trials.

This logic is used in search fields in databases. Each database is different, but most adhere to this logic in the same or similar ways. 

See the logic in the box below by using AND, OR, NOT, quotation marks, parenthesis, and special characters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This example in CINAHL shows using asthma AND inhalers in a search. The search would show results that include both asthma and inhalers.

This example in CINAHL shows using stress OR anxiety in a search. The results would show results with stress or anxiety or both.

 

This example in CINAHL shows using stress OR anxiety OR worry OR pressure OR "mental health" in a search. Using synonyms for a word like stress will retrieve more results since it will be a broader search that could include any of the synonyms.