CINAHL Basic Search Page

If you're used to using RamSearch or other Ebsco databases, the general layout of CINAHL will look very familiar.

However, being a general allied health database, it contains pre-search refinements useful for health science students, such as:

• Journal subsets - focusing on regions, countries, several journal type subsets, etc.
• Choice of gender focus
• 'Clinical Queries' article categories (Therapy, Review, Etiology, Prognosis, etc.)
• Publication Type - a varied collection of format choices
• Image quick view subtypes

CINAHL's Advanced Search Page

CINAHL's Advanced Search page includes the familiar multiple search boxes, a way to add more, and the usual boolean and field searching options.

However, there are additional pre-search filtering options, several not seen on the simple search page:

• An additional geographic subset
• Age groups subsets
• Choices of specific study types and an EBM focus
• Opportunities to focus on humans, EBM, peer-reviewed, a nurse being an author, pregnancy, inpatients, outpatients, page number, avoiding pre-CINAHL and Medline records.
• Some special interest subsets (the aforementioned allied health topics)

Because CINAHL uses a set of subject terms similar to (but not exactly the same as) the ones used by PubMed / Medline, it gives you the option to have subject terms suggested, and for subject terms that are the same as your own search terms to be added / applied to the search.

CINAHL's Results Page

Post-search limiters are also similar in look to those for any Ebsco database, but again with the exception of several health science options, including:

• CEUs being a format type you can focus on
• Gender and age limit options
• The ability to see the major subject headings involved

The results listing offers the usual clear indication of whether full text is immediately available, or whether an interlibrary loan request will be required.  Clicking on a result's title leads you to the usual Ebsco page with information, including abstract, about the resource. Even here, though, additional information relevant to the health sciences is made available:

• You get many more subject terms listed, due to the presence of both minor and major subject groups.
• It tells you the journal subset
• It lists instruments appearing in the study
• It gives you the Medline ID number
• Additional niceties such as grant information

Miscellaneous

There are some evidence-based care sheets and quick lessons - links to these are available at the top of the database page.