UPDATED: July 17, 2019. Original Post: February 1, 2017.
If you’ve ever tried to loosen a screw with a nail file or pop a wine bottle cork using a screwdriver, you know it’s easier when you have the right tool for the job. It’s the same when looking for information. It helps to search in a database that is built for your specific subject and/or discipline. If your research and/or practice area is nursing, rehabilitation, social work, dietetics or another allied health discipline, consider using CINAHL® Complete.
CINAHL® retrieves information about articles from more than 5,000 journals, from 1937 to the present. Since the focus of the database is nursing and allied health literature, articles are tagged with preferred terms that reflect the language used in these disciplines. These tags, a form of controlled vocabulary, are called CINAHL® Subject Headings. Searching with CINAHL® subject headings will return more relevant results.
This short tutorial will help you get started using CINAHL® subject headings:
For more guidance on searching in CINAHL® Complete, view the tutorials on EBSCO’s CINAHL® Databases Training site or contact Library Services.
Lana MacEachern
Library Technician
Aberdeen Regional Hospital, Northern Zone
Katie McLean
Librarian Educator, Education & Outreach
Dickson Building, Central Zone
UPDATED: June 4, 2024
Whether you are looking for a complete reference in a particular citation style, full-text access to one or more articles, or a variety of articles on a specific topic, Library Services has you covered. Not sure how to go about getting the information you need? This post is for you!
Locating the Complete Citation of an Article
A complete citation usually includes the author, article title, journal title, volume and issue numbers, publication date, and page numbers of the article. A complete citation will look something like this:
Citations may differ in the order that information is presented. Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the components. Library and information professionals know how to fill in the gaps and get the right article for you. The more information you provide, however, the better chance of locating the item you want. For information on building citations, check out our Citation Management subject guide. Select the Citation Examples tab for examples.
Locating the PMID number of an article is a great way to make sure you’ve got the elements of a complete citation. PMID numbers can be found at the bottom left of the abstract in PubMed. Check this one out.
You can also get citation information about an individual item in Google Scholar. Try searching for the Woodhouse, et al. (2019) article above in Google Scholar. Notice
below the relevant citation. Clicking this icon presents the Cite box. It lists citations across a range of styles (APA, Vancouver, etc.) that you can copy and reuse as needed.
Checking for Full-Text in Google Scholar and PubMed
Check for full-text in Google Scholar by running a search and looking for Full Text from NSHA to the right-hand side of each result.
You can find full-text articles in PubMed, too. Run a search in PubMed. Click on the title of the article you are interested in to present the full article view and note the icons to the right under Full text links. Follow the Nova Scotia Health Authority icon to view access options available to staff and physicians.
Submitting a Request for Article Access (aka Interlibrary Loan)
If the full-text isn’t available for free or through Library Services subscriptions, you may encounter the Request a document option when searching PubMed or Google Scholar. Clicking this option will help you fill out a request for an article, a service referred to as interlibrary loan. Try this link. Scroll down the page until you see a form with the heading Complete your information to request this item through document delivery. Simply fill in the Patron Information fields, select Send, and we’ll do our best to locate a copy of the article for you.
You can also submit a request for article access using this Document Delivery form. This form can be found by selecting Services from the menu at the top of the web page you are reading right now, then Document Delivery. Remember to include as much citation info as possible in your request. Doing so will allow library staff to find what you need more quickly.
Finding More Relevant Articles with the Literature Search Request Service
Submit a request for a literature search when you want to find a variety of articles on a particular subject across a range of databases. To submit the request, select Services at the top of this web page, then Literature Searching and you will be directed to the form.
To help library staff understand your request and find more relevant articles for you, include complete citation details of articles you’ve already identified as relevant when submitting your request.
You can try citation matching techniques on your own by looking for article matching tools in the databases you search. In PubMed, navigate to full citation view and look to the right of the screen. Under Similar articles notice a short list of articles similar to the one you’ve found. Click See all similar articles to see the full list.
Using any or all of the tips above will help you be more efficient with accessing, organizing and creating information at work. Get more tips and support from our team by booking a one-on-one consultation with a library team member.
Amanda Andrews
Health Sciences Librarian
Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Eastern Zone