Using CINAHL at USF

Welcome

Welcome! This guide will walk you through several steps for working in the CINAHL Database. Use the arrows at the bottom of this box to navigate the guide step-by-step. Use the webpage on your right to follow the links outlined in each step.

If you are comfortable with the basics and would like to move on to more advanced research techniques, use the mobile menu in the top-right corner of this box to select a specific lesson.

If you have any trouble using this guide or if you need additional help locating research articles, feel free to call or email the Health Science Reference Librarian using the contact information below:

Cort Eyer

ceyer@sf.edu

260.399.7700 EXT 6057

If you're ready, just click the arrow below to get started!

Accessing Databases at USF

CINAHL is the premier database for Nursing & Allied Health research.  But, it is just one of many databases available to USF students.  To access the list of all databases available at USF, click the Databases A-Z link on the right side of your screen.  The link should look like this:

This list is alphabetical, so find the database you are looking for by clicking the first letter in the database name.

Creating a MyEBSCO Account

One extremely valuable account you can create in order to save and organize research articles for various projects, is a MyEBSCOHost Account. 

To create a MyEBSCO Account, access any of the EBSCO Databases from the A-Z list. EBSCO Databases have (EBSCO) following the database name.

Once inside the database, click the "Sign In" link in the menu bar at the top of the page. You should then see a page with the box below. Click "Create a new Account" and fill out the brief form for a MyEBSCO Account. You should get an email confirmation once the account is created.

Basic Searching in CINAHL

One inside the CINAHL Database, searching is fairly simple.  You'll see the large Search box at the top of the screen.  Feel free to enter some keywords or general terms in this box.

Limit searches by including or excluding terms using the AND/OR/NOT box to the left of the Search:  

Adding these terms will give your better overall search results.  For example, a search for cats NOT dogs will only return results for articles about cats. Cats AND dogs, will return articles about cats, articles about dogs, as well as articles discussing BOTH cats and dogs.

When searching, also remember to try using synonyms for your search terms.  For example, a search for canines will return very different results than a search for dogs.

TEST QUIZ