Searching EBSCO Databases: CINAHL, PsycInfo, & Global Health: Introduction

EBSCOhost is a database platform provided by the information services company EBSCO.

• It provides researchers with access to various general and subject-specific literature databases across subject areas.
• The UNC Libraries pays a subscriptions cost that provides access to those affiliated with UNC. 
• At the Health Sciences Library, we provide instruction for searching EBSCOhost databases like CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Global Health.

Choosing a Database

• While it is possible to search all EBSCOhost databases at once, this is often not the best option.
• Not all databases pull articles from the same journals or give you the same choices for narrowing your search. This can impact your search result.
• Instead, it is best to choose database(s) tailored to your research needs and to search one database at a time to make sure you see the most relevant results from each source.
• You can access CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Global Health from the Resources page on the HSL website. Click the "Sign In" button at the top of the page to log into your EBSCOhost account.

CINAHL provides access to nursing and allied health literature and research. CINAHL includes over 3,000 active indexed and abstracted journals, as well as dissertations. For literature from a nursing or allied health perspective on topics like physical therapy, occupational therapy, or nutrition, CINAHL is a good resource.

CINAHL allows you to search using subject headings similar to how you can search Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) in PubMed. While some CINAHL Subject Headings are identical to MeSH, there are many that are specific to research in nursing and allied health. 

When searching CINAHL, you can filter results based on specific criteria. For example, you can limit to articles in which the first author is a nurse or to allied health journals.

Additionally, CINAHL contains a collection of Evidence-Based Care Sheets and Quick Lessons that provide informational overviews regarding specific medical conditions and nursing workflows. 

APA PsycInfo provides access to literature across the psychological sciences, including research on mental health, psychology, and psychiatry. For literature on psychology, psychiatry, behavioral and social science, and testing methodology, APA PsycInfo is a good resource.

APA PsycInfo indexes more than 2,500 journals and also includes books and dissertations. The database contains abstracts from literature dating back to the 1800s.

Within APA PsycInfo, you have access to the APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. This allows you to easily make your search narrower or broader using a set list of index terms, similar to those in CINAHL and PubMed.

Global Health provides access to research and literature dedicated to international public health. Some of the topics include health systems, health promotion, epidemiology, and nutrition. For literature on international health, biomedical life sciences, non-communicable diseases, public health nutrition, and hygiene, Global Health is a good resource.

This database contains literature dating back to 1973 and from over 130 countries.

In Global Health, you can browse by certain indexes like author, geographic terms, or subject terms to create a search from terms used within the database.

You can access CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Global Health from the Resources page on the HSL website. Click the "Sign In" button at the top of the page to log into your EBSCOhost account.

You can also create a new account, which can be used across EBSCOhost databases. Although you do not have to use your UNC email, it is recommended that you sign up with your UNC account. This will help ensure you maintain access through UNC affiliation. 

If you want to switch databases, click "Choose Databases" above the search box. You can then check the box of the database you would like to search and click "okay."

The EBSCO Mobile App is also available to download onto your smartphone. View the EBSCO Mobile App Quick Start Guide for more information.