Concise Tips for Using CINAHL Suite

When you first enter CINAHL, you will be searching by keyword. Enter your first term and click on the grey button labeled "Search".

You can limit your search with the options in the green box labeled "Refine Search". You can limit to full-text articles, peer-reviewed journals, publication year, and publication date. You can also use the search boxes to search for articles by a particular author or in a specific journal.

From within your results menu, you can select materials from journal articles, books, materials that provide continuing education credit (CEU), evidence-based care materials, and research instruments (surveys, questionnaires, etc).

To search by CINAHL subject headings, click on the green button labeled "CINAHL Headings" at the top of the screen. The system will present you with a series of options based on what you entered. Click in the check box next to one or more terms that you wish to search for.

When selecting more than one term, you can choose to combine them using "OR" or "AND" from the pull-down menu under the search box.

By clicking on the blue tab labeled "Advanced Search" at the top of the screen, you can further refine your search. You can limit to research articles, evidence-based care materials, journal subjects (special subject areas such as complimentary care), gender, language, age, and special interest.