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Nursing & Health Sciences Research Guide

A comprehensive research guide for nursing and the allied health fields of study.

Options for Limiting Results

Limiters for all Ebsco Databases: Includes general limiters that fit all databases like date of publication, full text, abstract available, publication type, author, etc. and special limiters that are database-specific and will appear in separate sections when you conduct a multi-database search. Some special limiters for CINAHL include: Research Article, Peer Reviewed, Evidence-Based Practice, Age Group, Special interest, etc.
  1. Refine your Results: on the left hand side bar, in Refine your results, click on Show More to limit to Research Article, Peer Reviewed, Evidence-Based Practice, Age Group, publication date, etc.
  2.  
  3. Other Limiters: Underneath Refine your results is a list of other limiters, these limiters are based on database and specific search results. Click on the side arrows to view the limiters.
     

Limiting Example

Topic:  articles on spiritual care in nursing theory in the last 5 years
  1. Follow the CINAHL Headings example. Notice we have over 5000 results. Now you will limit those results.
  2. Now add spiritual* (the astricks (*) means it will search for spiritual, spirituality, spirituals, etc.) in the second search box. Click on Search.
  3. Now click on “Show More” under “Refine your results”, also in the blue column on the left.
    1. Click on the check box in front of “peer review”.
  4. Click on the limiter, “Subject: Major Headings” on the left in the blue column (you may have to scroll down).
    1. Click on the check box in front of Spirituality and Spiritual Care. Then click UPDATE.
  5. Since you only want 2005 to present, under "Refine your Results" change the dates to 2005 to 2010.

 

Click on the image below to view the search results:

Clinical Queries

What are CINAHL Clinical Queries?

Clinical Queries are specific search strategies (“hedges”) which can be applied to retrieve clinically-relevant and scientifically-sound results from the CINAHL® databases.

These strategies are created in collaboration with the Health Information Research Unit (HIRU) at McMaster University, and are designed for clinician use. For additional information about ongoing research, please visit: 
http://hiru.mcmaster.ca/hiru/HIRU_Hedges_home.aspx.

Application of Clinical Queries – “How to”

Clinical Queries are developed to retrieve results containing clinically-sound studies. The five strategies which can be applied are Therapy, Prognosis, Review, Qualitative, and Causation (Etiology).

The searcher may select a more highly-focused result for each strategy by selecting one of the following:

  • High Sensitivity – the broadest search to include ALL relevant material; it may include less relevant materials.

  • High Specificity – the most targeted search to include only the most relevant set; may miss some relevant materials.

  • Best Balance – retrieves the best balance between Sensitivity and Specificity.

*Information listed here is cited from Ebsco Support (http://support.epnet.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=4031)