Using Databases at Oakton

CINAHL (Current Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) is a full-text database of publications. It also contains Evidence-Based Care Sheets and Quick Lessons on a variety of health topics. Some general tips: 

• Search for exact phrases with quotation marks (“”).
• Use just one or two-word phrases as your keywords. The database will not look for common "stop words" like: been, however, so, or, in, the, and, etc.
• Truncate your terms with an asterisk (*) to find more results. For example, type comput* to find the words computer or computing.
• When a singular word is searched, the plural and possessive forms will also be searched unless you put the word in quotation marks (“”).
• Limit results by applying filters before or after performing a CINAHL search.

Access more detailed directions and videos below.

Click the link below to begin searching CINAHL. (Log in with your Oakton username and password if prompted.)

Jump to: Searching | Results List | Article Record | Evidence-Based Care Sheets

To search CINAHL:

• Enter your keywords in the search boxes. Try to include only one word or simple phrase in each box.
• Narrow your search by selecting a search field from the All fields drop-down list (for example, author, title, or subject). If you do not pick a field, the database will look for your terms in any part of the article record.
• Filters (located below the search boxes) allow you to limit search results by several criteria. Some examples:
  • Full Text: Click this box to find only articles that appear in their entirety in this database.
  • Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals: Select this box to find only articles from experts written in peer-reviewed publications.
  • Published Date: Limit by year of publication by selecting a pre-set limit (past 12 months, past 5 years, past 10 years) or by selecting Custom range.

CINAHL Headings are specialized subject headings that allow you to create a targeted search. 

Select CINAHL Headings below the search boxes. 

Enter your terms in the CINAHL Headings search box, display the headings with either Relevancy ranking or Term begins with, and click the Magnifying glass icon.

Select a subject term in the list and select Add to search.
- OR -
Select a subject term in the list, select one or more subheadings in the list (e.g., Diagnosis/DI, Prognosis/PR, Therapy/TD, etc.) and then select Add to search.

The terms are added to the search box. Select Search to retrieve results.

Once you have a list of results from your search:

• Results appear in Relevance order (the most relevant first) under the search boxes. Click on the Relevance drop-down list to select other sorting options such as newest or oldest.
• To see more information about an article in your search results, click on its title.
• If you did not select Full Text, Peer Reviewed, or Publication Date before searching, you can still apply those filters to the results by using the drop-down list shortcuts under the search bar on the results page.
• The All filters option displays the complete range of filters available for limiting your results. Here you can select Subject: Major Heading to list and select CINAHL Headings relevant to your search.

Once you click on an article title, the following article record options and information appear:

• Access options: Select an article to read by clicking its Access options button and selecting one of the full text options. If only one full text option is available, the Access button will display as either Access now (Online full text) or Access now (PDF).
• Major Subjects, Minor Subjects: By clicking one of the listed Major or Minor Subjects, you can find more articles about that topic.
• Abstract: This field provides a summary of the article.
• Print: Use the Access now button to select (if available) the article’s PDF or Online full text viewer. In the viewer, click the Print icon in the tools menu displayed at the top of the article. This opens your browser's print dialog box.
• Cite: When viewing an article record, click the Cite tool (shaped as a quotation mark “ icon). Select a citation style from the Style drop-down menu (APA, Chicago/Turabian, MLA, etc.). Click the Copy to clipboard button.
• Text-To-Speech: Use the Access now button to select (if available) the article’s PDF or Online full text viewer. In the viewer, click the Headphone icon in the tools menu to open the Listen panel on the right, then click the Play button to listen.

CINAHL's Evidence-Based Care Sheets are summaries on specific key topics, which are focused on nursing practice. Each evidence-based care sheet incorporates the latest evidence, statistics, research and references on a given topic. They are prepared and published by experts at CINAHL.

It is important to note that Evidence-Based Care Sheets are not peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles. Peer-reviewed articles report on original research or scholarship done by the article author(s). However, Evidence-Based Care Sheets are an excellent, reliable way to get background information, and you can use the references the Sheets provide to locate additional peer-reviewed materials.

Two ways to search CINAHL's Evidence-Based Care Sheets for a condition, disease, or general medical topic:

• Before searching, use the Publication Type filter to select Evidence-Based Care Sheets..
  - OR -
• After searching, select the filter shortcut for Evidence-Based Care Sheets on the search results page
• Not all topics have an Evidence-Based Care Sheet. If your topic is not covered, contact an Oakton Librarian to ask for help finding other sources for background information.