What are MeSH & CINAHL Headings?
Subject headings, descriptors, and thesauri terms are examples of "controlled vocabularies." They are lists of pre-defined, carefully selected words and phrases used to classify and organize information, and vary with discipline and database. Controlled vocabulary describes the general content of an information unit, such as a book, an article, or an essay.
Use controlled vocabulary, or subjects, to explore related, broader, and narrow topic. Including controlled vocabulary in a search yields subject-specific, targeted results, and can help narrow search results. Combining keywords and subjects keywords when searching provides more focused results.
CINAHL & MEDLINE Interactive Tutorial
CINAHL and MEDLINE: Advanced Search and EBP [9 slides]- An interactive tutorial highlighting CINAHL and MEDLINE advanced search options, EBP, and subject headings/MeSH for nursing research.
Search & Browse CINAHL Subject Headings
- CINAHL Ultimate This link opens in a new window
- Click on CINAHL Subject Headings in the top blue bar.
- Key in your term.
- Select a search option--Term Begins With, Term Contains, or Relevancy Ranked. Click Browse.
- From the list of term results:
- Check the box in front of the term to view a list of subheadings or
- Click the linked term for the "tree structure" view
Search & Browse MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) in MEDLINE
- MEDLINE with Full Text (EBSCO) This link opens in a new window
- Click MeSH 2024 in the top menu bar.
- Key in your term.
- Select a search option--Term Begins With, Term Contains, or Relevancy Ranked. Click Browse.
- Then, from the list of term results:
- Check the box in front of the term to view a list of subheadings or
- Click the linked term for the "tree structure" view