Library

How to Search

Searching By Topic

Keywords vs Subjects

Keywords are natural language terms. They are the words and synonyms that define your research topic and its related concepts. They form the basis of exploratory searching in catalogs and databases as you begin your research. Here are some things to note about keyword searching:

  • a database will search for keywords in the title, source, and body of the text of each entry
  • keyword searching is very flexible as words can be entered in any order
  • searches done with keywords tend to be broader
  • keyword searches can yield too many and sometimes irrelevant results
  • results can lead you to the more relevant subject headings embedded in each entry

Sample keyword search: colonial AND art AND america

Subjects are predefined words (a controlled vocabulary) used to describe concepts and attributes of a publication. Most library catalogs use subject headings proscribed by the Library of Congress. This means you can use the same subject headings to search the holdings in the catalogs here at Simmons or at your local library. Some things to know about searching with subject headings are:

  • subject searching is very specific and searches only in the subject field of each entry
  • you need to know the exact subject heading in order to do a subject search
  • results are highly relevant to the topic
  • many databases use subject headings that are unique and you will need to use a thesaurus to determine the correct subject to use

Sample subject search: Art Colonial Unites States

Tip: Not every catalog and database provides a thesaurus to look up subject headings. When you don't know the correct subject heading to use perform a keyword search. Select an entry from the results list that closely matches your topic and look to see what subject headings are used. You can then use them to execute a subject search.

Using a Thesaurus

Many databases use specialized language when describing concepts and subjects. It can be difficult or almost impossible to guess what some of the subject headings are. Fortunately many databases provide their users with thesauri. These guides allow you to enter a word and they will direct you to the best match on a subject heading.

MEDLINE is a medical database and uses its own system of subject headings called MeSH (Medical Subject Headings). If you were to search the database for information on heart attack you may become frustrated by the lack of information. This is not because it isn't there but rather you need to use the language the database understands to extract it. If you searched heart attack in the MeSH headings it would direct you to use myocardial infarction.

Search the ERIC database for information on reading disabilities and you may be surprised at how little is there. Use the thesaurus to search and it will indicate reading difficulties is the term to use.

Tip: If you seem to be getting very few results on your topic try searching your terms in the thesarus first. You may have more success once your terms are translated into headings the database understands.

Browsing by Subject

This is sometimes described as a serendipitous approach to research. While not advisable in every case, it does have its merits. All the books in the Library is arranged by subject. Each subject corresponds to a call number area. So if you look up a topic in the library catalog such as women and employment you will find that all of the items returned have similar call numbers and will be shelved in the same area.

Another way browsing by subject is useful is in finding additional subject headings with which to expand your search. Either in the catalog or in a database each item will list all of the appropriate subject headings for that entry. Some may be broader or narrower than your original search. A subject search for women employment united states could also offer additional headings such as women employment united states case studies or women employment united states history.

Author, Title, and Other Fields

Other Works by the Author

It can be helpful to see what other works a particular author has written. You could look to see what else the author of a particular article or text book has written. They may be experts on a topic and their other titles or article may be helpful in finding additional information.

When searching catalogs and databases for other works by an author you can simply do an author search. This will bring you back results for items written by the author. A subject search of an author will return results that are both by and about the author. Searching a database such as World Cat will help you locate all works by a particular author. Certain items may be hard to locate such as poems or plays that are published in an anthology. If you have difficulty finding such items contact a reference librarian. Many databases will allow you to click on the author's name thus running a search in the database for everything written by that author.

Date and Other Limits

Power Searching

Cited Reference

Page updated: April 24, 2007

 

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