CINAHL Ultimate Database Guide: Home

CINAHL Ultimate (and all EBSCO databases) will migrate to a new user interface on August 5, 2025. See the following links for more information: 

• The New EBSCOhost Interface - Quick Start Guide
• The New EBSCOhost - Frequently Asked Questions
• Introduction to the New EBSCOhost - Video Tutorial

Basic Search Tips

• An "unqualified" search is a keyword search performed on an EBSCO database in which field codes to search have not been selected or specified by the user.
• When performing a search in the CINAHL databases, the default fields for unqualified searches are: Title, Abstract, Subject headings, PubMed ID (PMID), Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and Author.
• The New EBSCOhost Interface - Basic Search

Advanced Search

• Subject headings that contain "Non-CINAHL" are not used for indexing; they are included solely for the purpose of clarifying the logical structure of the tree.
• The New EBSCOhost Interface - Advanced Search

Filters - Popular limits include:

• Peer Reviewed – Limits search results to articles from peer-reviewed journals. Peer-reviewed journals are publications that include only those articles that have been reviewed and/or qualified by a selected panel of acknowledged experts in the field of study covered by the journal.

• Publication Date – Use this option to search for articles within a specified date range.

• Clinical Queries - Use to refine the search using specific search strategies designed to narrow the results in five research areas, Therapy, Prognosis, Review, Qualitative, and Causation (Etiology). Three strategies are provided for each area. 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 result set, may miss some relevant materials. Best Balance - retrieves the best balance between Sensitivity and Specificity. 

• Search Only Pre-CINAHL – This limiter under Filters on the Advanced search page limits a search to records only in Pre-CINAHL. Pre-CINAHL includes records that are not yet 100% indexed. These records are in process, and they do not have subject headings applied yet.

• Applying Limiters and Filters in the New EBSCO Interfaces

Folder

• You can set up a personal account in EBSCOhost, EBSCO Discovery Service, and a number of EBSCO's unique research interfaces.
• Whenever you sign in to any of these interfaces, you will be able to save search results, persistent links to searches, search alerts, journal alerts, and web pages to your personal My EBSCO folder.
• How to Create and Manage a MyEBSCO Account

Video Tutorials

Other Helpful Links