Using this button you search the CINAHL thesaurus (= dictionary of narrower, broader and related terms). Here you will find Subject Headings that you can apply to search CINAHL efficiently. The use of a thesaurus is also useful to see how different subjects relate to each other.
Follow this step-by-step plan only after you have formulated your search terms in step 1.
1. Type a keyword, e.g. High Blood Pressure.
2. Evaluate the search results. Which is/are relevant to you? (Use CINAHL's suggestions in your consideration.)
3. Select the Subject Headings that are relevant to you. In this case, select Hypertension.
4. (Optional) Rate the Subheadings. You can use these to search a particular aspect of your Subject Headings. For example: Complications/CO. Tick these.
5. Decide how narrow you want to search. Choose Explode (+) to also search all more specific Subject Headings at once. Choose Major Concept to use one Subject Heading as the main subject in a very targeted way.
6. Choose Search Database. Your Subject Heading is now placed in the Advanced Search screen.
You can often find the most relevant articles by searching by Title-Abstract. Unfortunately, CINAHL does not have a single button with this function.
► Note: This only works with free search terms (and thus not with Subject Headings). Search the major fields with Subject Headings.
► Place your free search terms (e.g. "Hypertension") in two separate search lines. Now choose search field Title once and Abstract the other time.
