Need some healthcare research articles?

PDF version of these instructions

1. Go to the library homepage. Beneath the “Articles/Databases” heading at the right of the page click Academic Search Premier. If you are not on the Cullowhee campus, you will be asked for your first and last name and your ID Number. Your ID Number is your 92- number.
   
   
2. Once you enter the database, look for the EBSCOhost logo followed by a search box.  Above the search box you will see the word “Searching” and the name of the database you are in currently.  Click the link “Choose Databases” following the database name. A “Choose Databases” pop up screen will appear.  Check databases that apply to your topic. The following databases are HIGHLY recommended for healthcare searches:
   • CINAHL with Full Text – use for any allied health search – this is a great database!
     
     
   • Medline with Full Text – use for most medical searches (same information as PubMed)
     
     
   • PsycINFO – use for topics affected by or affecting mental health
     
     
3. Scroll to the bottom and click OK.  The “Choose Databases” screen will disappear.
   
   
4. Build a good search phrase.
   • Use the word and between words you want to appear in your results:
     tennis elbow and therapy
     
     
   • Use the word or between words when multiple terms can mean the same thing:
     tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis
     
     
   • Use the wildcard character * asterisk for words having multiple relevant endings:  treat*
     This search finds articles including treat, treats, treating, treatment, or treatments.
     
     
   • Use () parentheses to tell the database what to consider together:
     (tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis) and (therap* or treat*)
     
     
   • For further search logic instruction, view What the Heck is Boolean Searching?
     
     
5. Click the search button. You will receive a listing of articles containing the search words you entered. To find out more about an article, click on the blue, hyperlinked article titles you find interesting to read article abstracts.
   
   
6. Limit and sort your results. Look to the right of the listing of result until you see the green heading “Limit your results.”
   
   
7. To get only scholarly or peer reviewed resources, look beneath the “Limit your results” heading and click the box beside “Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals.”
   
   
8. If you are in a time crunch, click the “Full Text” box. CAUTION: clicking the “Full Text” box may eliminate many articles that you can access full text online through the library but which come from services other than EBSCOhost.
   
   
9. If your instructor has directed you to use recent materials, fill in desired years in the date boxes beneath “Filter by Publication Date.” 
   
   
10. Your search results are sorted by date by default.  To sort your results by relevance, look to the left of the green "Limit your results" heading and click the down pointing triangle beside "Sort by" and choose "Relevance" from the listing.
    
    
11. Click the “Update Results” button.
    
    
12. Look through the listing of article title results. Click the “Add to folder” link to save information for articles you want and email or download them before you exit your search.  Click the Folder icon at the top of the screen to get to selections.
    
    
13. Get the full text. To find the full text of an article, click the PDF Full Text, Linked Full Text, HTML Full Text, or Search for Full Text links.
    • If you receive an error message when you click the link to find full text, open another web browser window and go to the library catalog’s journal title search.  Enter the title of the JOURNAL from which the article you want comes and access the desired article in that manner if the library has access to the journal.  You can also browse for full text online journal holdings through the E-journal List.
      
      
    • If you receive a message with the word “Sorry” or we do not have the material you need, put in an Interlibrary Loan request.
      
      
    • Not in Cullowhee?
      
      
14. If you have trouble finding what you need, call the Reference Desk at 1-866-928-5424 or email Ann Hallyburton at ahallyb@email.wcu.edu.