EBSCOhost databases

In some of the EBSCOhost databases, though not all, you will have the option to explore a Thesaurus. Including thesaurus terms in your search will help you to retrieve papers on your chosen topic even if different authors have used slightly different terminology to describe the topic in their papers. If you see a tab marked Subjects underneath the search boxes, you can access a thesaurus for the database you have chosen. Note: the CINAHL database calls this Headings, please see separate instructions for CINAHL.

How to access a database thesaurus - this example uses the database MLA International Bibliography:

• Select the Subjects tab, underneath the search boxes (you can also access the thesaurus via Research tools in the left-hand menu).
• Choose MLA Thesaurus from the drop-down menu.
• Type a topic, for example 'artificial intelligence', into the thesaurus search box and click the Search icon.

You will see an alphabetical list of thesaurus terms that are used in the database to describe the topic. Click the blue link to see more information about a thesaurus term, including: 

• Broader Terms - in this example, the broader terms are 'computer technology' and 'intelligence'.
• Narrower Terms - the narrower terms are 'expert system', 'generative artificial intelligence', 'intelligent agent', 'machine learning', 'natural language processing', 'neural network', and 'robotics'.
• Related Terms - the related terms are ' computer', 'deepfakes' and 'Turing test'.
• Used For Terms - any synonyms or alternative terms for the thesaurus term. In this example, the 'Used for' term is 'A.I. (artificial intelligence)'.

Use the tickboxes to the left of each term to select any that you would like to include in your search.

• Explode: If you select a thesaurus term that has narrower terms, you can also use the Explode narrower terms checkbox to automatically include all the narrower terms in your search, or you can tick individual terms of interest. For example, if you select the thesaurus term 'artificial intelligence' and also select the Explode checkbox, you will be searching for items tagged with any of the following thesaurus terms: 'expert system', 'generative artificial intelligence', 'intelligent agent', 'machine learning', 'natural language processing', 'neural network', and 'robotics'.

Once you have selected your preferred thesaurus terms, click Add to search at the top of the list to transfer your terms to the search box. Terms you have selected will be combined with the search operator OR, or you can use the drop-down menu to change the operator to AND, or NOT. Click on Search and your search results will appear in the centre of the screen.

You can return to previous searches using the Recent activity link in the left-hand menu.

Each thesaurus is database-specific. If you are using the thesaurus search options, it is best to search one database at a time, rather than cross-searching multiple databases.

For information about using thesaurus terms in CINAHL Plus, see: