Why search directly in a database? Because the databases:       

• are often subject-specific, and give more targeted results
• have extra and more sophisticated search functions.

Why search in CINAHL? Because it is an important international database for nursing and allied health.

CINAHL Plus with Full Text is available to us in the EBSCOhost platform. When you log in, you get the EBSCOhost Advanced Search screen:

• Simply enter your search terms and click on Search.
• For example, to find information on communication in inter-professional health care teams you could search for:

communicat*
[AND] "health care teams"

Remember, we use double quotation marks to search for a specific phrase, and the asterisk to search for all word endings.

• Your results display as brief records below the search boxes:

• Many of the results in CINAHL will be available in full-text – that is, the full article will be available within the database.

• Some of the results won't have the full-text attached. In those cases, click on the  link: this searches for the full article elsewhere in the Library's online subscriptions.

• The Find it link takes you to the record for the article in Primo Search. From there, click on one of the listed databases to get to the full article.

This short video (3:54) looks at using Advanced Search in CINAHL, and using Search History to combine multiple searches.