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How to search CINAHL

Truncation in CINAHL

Truncation allows you to search for the root of the word any any possible endings.  Use the asterisk symbol for unlimited right-hand truncation.

*

eg.  teen*

This will capture variant endings for the word teen including but not limited to:

  • teen
  • teens
  • teenaged
  • teenager
  • teenagers

Note: be cautious about where you are adding the * to the root. If the word root is too short the database may stop searching if there are too many variant endings. Or the database may capture results that are not relevant to your search.

Wildcards in CINAHL

#

Use the # to represent an additional character in a word.  This is especially useful for alternate spellings.

e.g. p#ediatric

  • paediatric
  • pediatric

 

?

Use the ? to represent an unknown character in a word.  This will capture variations on the word including alternative spellings

e.g. wom?n

  • woman
  • women
  • womyn

Note:  Words with ? at the end of the word are not treated as having a wildcard and only the word is searched.  It is better to use the * at the end of a word.

Ebsco Connect. “Searching with Wildcards in EDS and EBSCOhost.” Ebsco Connect Discovery and Search, 23 Feb. 2024, https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/Searching-with-Wildcards-in-EDS-and-EBSCOhost?language=en_US.