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Nursing Research Guide: Choose Databases Feature - EbscoHost

How to get the "Choose Databases" Search feature in CINAHL/EbscoHost

This page illustrates using the "Choose Database" link from an EbscoHost database to search across multiple databases at once. 

A smart approach for the Nursing or Health Studies programs, depending on the assignment and your topic, would be to search in CINAHL (Nursing & Allied Health), MEDLINE (the content in PubMed), Business Source Complete, ERIC (education), PsycINFO (psychology), and Social Work Abstracts databases at the same time. To do this--follow the steps below, then check the boxes for these, and click the OK button.

If you are not sure which database you need, search across all of these databases at once by checking the Select box, and clicking on the OK button.

Step 1: Scroll to the top of the page in the CINAHL or MedLine database.

Step 2: Click on the “Choose Databases” link above the search boxes area, as illustrated below.

Step 3: A new window will open – titled “Choose Databases,” as illustrated at right. Either click on the "Select" box option at the top of the page (to select all of the databases), and click on the OK button to search, or skim the names of the 80 database titles and select those that look relevant to your search. Hover your mouse over the information icon Information Icon in EbscoHost to the right of the database names to find out about them. (Sometimes this feature does not work.)

These are databases that the UW Libraries subscribes to. EBSCO is a private company that is not affiliated with the University of Washington.

A note from Julie: If I am not sure which database to choose from the list, or if I am having a hard time finding something, I search across all of these databases at once by checking the Select box at the top of the page (and deselect them in the same box), and clicking on the OK button.

  • The advantage of searching in multiple databases at the same time is that you are saving time.
    • Another advantage is that you can use the cite feature for MedLine through the EbscoHost interface. The PubMed: NCBI interface does not provide a cite feature for the PubMed/MedLine content.
  • The disadvantage is that the databases don’t use the same jargon and don’t have the same index and limiters. The majority of these databases represent a specific discipline, e.g. psychology and education, which has been developing for a long time. So you may have to search each the databases individually to get more specific and relevant results.
  • You will need to make sure you are getting the publication type you need in your search results, such as a journal article, and not a newspaper article, depending on your assignment. You can ask the librarians for help with this.

Choose Databases Page

Choose Databases List