This document provides an overview of how to search and use key features of the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature database. It describes how to perform keyword and subject heading searches, place articles in folders, email citations, and set up a MyEBSCOhost personal account to save searches and set up alerts. Key features covered include searching by keyword, choosing subject headings, viewing and narrowing search results, adding items to folders, output and sharing options, and creating a personal account to save searches and set up automated alerts.

1. Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature
Roy Brown
Education and Research Librarian
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences,
VCU Libraries

2. Goals/Objectives
• Understand how to perform a keyword
and subject heading search.
• Understand how to place articles in a
folder and email citations
• Understand how to set up MyEBSCO
host account
• Understand how to save a search.

3. Keyword Search or
Suggest Subject Terms
Can search by keyword in
different fields
Choose Search
Format
(Defaults to
Advanced Search)

4. When you use the suggest terms, the database will try to match
the keyword to one of the subject terms in the thesaurus.
Scope – tells you
how the term is
defined
Will return results with
all of the subject
headings below the term
in the tree.
Major concept – will restrict the
articles retrieved to those
articles with the heading being
designated a major heading

5. Click on the term without checking the box
and you will see this screen :
Broad
More Specific
Terms are organized
in a hierarchical
structure. The
trees go from broad
to more specific
terms. The terms
higher on the tree
will return more
articles than those
lower on the tree.
Choice you make is
based on your
information needs.

6. Check on the box beside the term and a choice of subheadings
will pop up. These will help you to further focus your results.
Choice of Subheading
for this Subject Term
Click here to search for the term
in the database.

7. Results Page
List of citations in brief format
Click on a title to view detailed citation with
abstract, subject headings, and additional fields
Links to full text or references if available
View specific publication types
Narrow by subject heading

8. Results Page
Click on title in order to
see the whole record for
the citation.
Click here to
Add to Folder
Get it @ VCU : Access
to full text, etc.

9. Individual Record
Full Text/Get it
@ VCU
PMID/MEDLINE
Info.
Major/Minor
Subject Headings
Abstract
Output
Options

10. Narrow Search with Limits
Publication date
Peer reviewed journals
Age groups
Inpatient, Outpatient
Publication types
Special interests
Others
Warning: full text limiter here will exclude other sources in the
VCU collection where this publication may be available.

11. Narrow by Subject Heading
View by source types
Limits/ Ways to
Refine Your
Search
Full Text and/or link to Get it
at VCU
Link to More
Limits
Limits

12. Limits

13. Search History
Search History
Search History can be useful because it gives you access to all of the terms and
combinations you have used.
Searches
Performed

14. Folders & Adding Items
Access Folder
Can add articles to
a folder in order to
send or save for
later.

15. Folder
Select records from results screens to add to
folder
Temporary holding location
Records will be held during your session
Add records from multiple searches
Users with personal accounts have
additional folder options
Save searches permanently
Multiple folders and subfolders

16. Output Options from Folder
• Print
• Save
• E-mail
• Export to
bibliographic
management
system

18. Give one the ability to:
Create folders for saving results
Save searches to run later
Set Up Search Alerts
Run at specified time intervals &
email results automatically
Set Up Journal Alerts
When new issue is published,
email table of contents
automatically
Personal Account

19. Personal Account:
My EBSCOhost
Set up account with a username and password
Set preferences for display and format options
Save citations or searches in folders and
subfolders
Set up search alerts
Set up journal alerts (new issue T of C)

20. Create New
Account – Refrain
from using E-id &
password
Access personal
account here
Sign in here

21. Creating A Personal Account -
InformationPage

22. Saving Searches or Setting Up Alerts
Start from Search History/Alert screen
Click on Save Searches/Alerts
Must have personal account/ EBSCO Account
Choose options for search or alert
Name and describe it
How often to run it
Save, e-mail, or set up RSS feed
Format of results

23. Saving a Search / Alert
Click Here for saving a
search/alert
Click check box for the search
you want to save.

24. Title and Describe
Choice of to save the search –
permanent/ 24 hrs. / alert
Saving a Search / Alert

25. Parameters – frequency,
articles included, length of
time
Email(s) to send results to.
Title and Describe
What will appear in subject
line of email. Useful if you
have several sent to you at
one time.
Saving a Search / Alert

26. Get in touch with Me…..
Roy Brown, MLIS
Education and Research Librarian
Tompkins-McCaw Library, VCU Libraries
rebrown2@vcu.edu / Ph. 804-828-1592
If You Need Help……..