CINAHL is a database that searches the nursing and allied health literature. Our access to this database is on a searching platform called EBSCOhost. On this platform, you use the drop-down menus next to each search box to tell CINAHL where in the information about the source (the database record) you want it to search. This page covers many essential aspects of constructing a systematic search in CINAHL on EBSCOhost.
CINAHL, like many research databases, has its own controlled vocabulary, or standardized language, that it uses to label sources. The controlled vocabulary in CINAHL is called CINAHL Subject Headings. CINAHL Subject Headings, like other controlled vocabularies, are arranged in a hierarchy of terms. Generally, the most narrow possible relevant term in the hierarchy is assigned to a reference.
In the database records, these terms are displayed in the Subjects field. You can do a keyword search in the Subjects field or have CINAHL execute an exact match search. See Designing a Systematic Search in CINAHL further down this page for both options.
To search the Thesaurus for your topic:
1. Select CINAHL Subject Headings below the search boxes or under "Research tools" on the left
2. Type a word or phrase expressing just one idea in the box, then click the Magnifying glass.
3. Click on the term that seems the closest match for your topic to see more details about it. If CINAHL prefers a different term than you searched (in this example, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic vs. PTSD), it will tell you to Use that controlled vocabulary term instead.
4. Clicking on a subject heading shows its place in the hierarchical tree. A plus sign next to a narrower term indicates the tree gets more granular underneath that term.
The scope note defines the term and may suggest related terms.
Truncation
Truncation is searching for any ending of a word. In CINAHL, use an * (asterisk) to replace one or more characters at the end of a string of letters. For example, mindful* finds mindful or mindfulness.
Wildcards
Wildcards can replace one or more characters. CINAHL offers three different wildcard options.
* (asterisk): In addition to truncation, the * can be used within a word to find multiple characters. For example, hea*one finds headphone, headstone, or hearthstone.
# (hash or pound sign): The # can be used for words where an alternate spelling may have one extra character. For example, p#edatric finds pediatric or paediatric.
? (question mark): The ? replaces only one unknown character in a word. For example, ne?t finds neat, nest, or next. The ? can't be used at the end of a string of characters; for that, use the * to truncate.
Single Words
In CINAHL and other databases on the EBSCOhost platform, a single word should be enclosed in quotation marks to avoid the database automatically searching for plural, possessive, and some other forms. For example, teach will search for teach OR teaches. "teach" searches only that exact string of characters.
Phrase Searching
CINAHL requires you to use quotation marks around phrases to ensure the words are searched next to each other in that exact order. For example, if you're interested in low back pain, you need to search for "low back pain" if you want that to be the exact phrase found in your results. You can use truncation and other special characters inside the quotation marks, so you can also try "low* back pain" to ensure you get articles about lower back pain.
Proximity Searching
In proximity or adjacency searching, you can tell the database to look for words near each other in a variety of ways. It's essential when you do this type of searching that you use parentheses to group terms accurately!
Near, which uses the letter N, is one proximity operator. Near finds words if they are a maximum of a certain number of words apart from one another, regardless of the order in which they appear. You decide the number. For example, teaching N3 strateg* will find results that have a maximum of three words between the beginning and ending terms. You'll find results that mention teaching strategy, teaching strategies, or strategies often used for teaching. Note that you can use truncation and other syntax when employing proximity searching. That means you could also try something like mindfulness N5 "classroom management" or even, using parentheses to properly group your keywords, mindfulness N5 (anxiety OR depression).
Within, which uses the letter W, finds words if they are within a certain number of words of one another, in the order in which you entered them. For example, class* W2 manag* would find classroom management, classroom must be managed, but not managing your class.
You don't have to do proximity searching! But it can save you a lot of typing and create cleaner searches that are easier to read.