SUBJECT HEADING SEARCHING
AND KEYWORD SEARCHING
Subject headings are controlled vocabulary - precise terms designated by the Library of Congress. If you try a subject search in a libarary catalog for "Teen Pregnancy" you will learn that this term is not a recognized subject heading. The term that Library of Congress does recognize is "Teenage Pregnancy." However, "Teen Pregnancy" and other phrases that are considered natural language are readily recognized in a keyword (or "word") search. If you are frustrated with subject searching with terms that the catalog does not recognize, try using them in a keyword search.
What Do I Look It Up Under?
A subject heading is a uniform word or group of words used to describe the subject of library materials. Subject headings are the terms under which you search for information in indexes, reference books, and library catalogs. Most colleges and universities, including those in the DCCCD, use the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a four–volume set of red books which list all of the uniform subject headings and cross references. The reference librarian can show you where these are located and can assist you in using them. These useful volumes will help you identify appropriate subject headings for your topic.
The online library catalog lists the subject headings assigned to each item in the library. You must use the exact subject heading in order to have a successful computer search. If you have problems using the subject headings for your research project, try the "keyword" approach (pages 43-44) or ask a Reference Librarian for assistance. The online library catalog also lists cross references to other subject headings.
The subject headings you use to look up your topic determine the sources to which you are directed. It is important to consider terms which are synonymous with, broader than, and narrower than the first term you think of. Listed below are some of the subject headings under which information on the topic brain is found:
| ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AMNESIA APHASIA BRAIN BRAIN CHEMISTRY BRAIN DAMAGE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CEREBRAL DOMINANCE CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE CEREBRUM |
HUMAN INFORMATION PROCESSING HYPOTHALAMUS INTELLIGENCE LATERALITY LEFT AND RIGHT (PSYCHOLOGY) MEMORY MIND MIND AND BODY NERVOUS SYSTEM PHRENOLOGY |
Subject headings are frequently followed by a listing of various aspects of the topic. These are called subheadings or subtopics.
Use the subheadings listed under a main subject heading to :
- help zero in on the precise aspect of the topic you are researching
- help decide how to narrow your topic by displaying a variety of aspects of the topic
- help locate material on your topic that is related to a specific geographic location.
Examples of subheadings on the brain are listed below:
| BRAIN--ABNORMALITIES BRAIN--AGING BRAIN--ANATOMY BRAIN--DISEASES BRAIN--DISEASES--DIAGNOSIS BRAIN--EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON |
BRAIN--LOCALIZATION OF FUNCTIONS BRAIN--PHYSIOLOGY BRAIN--POPULAR WORKS BRAIN--PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS BRAIN--SURGERY BRAIN--WOUNDS AND INJURIES |
Using Boolean to Search Electronic Databases by
Keyword
An important feature of Internet search tools is keyword searching. Keyword searching allows you to search for a single word, a phrase, or a combination of words and phrases.
Examples:
- drug abuse
- drug abuse and athletes
Boolean logic - a query strategy for searching electronic databases. Boolean searches allow you to combine two or more search terms using the operators "and," "or," "not," and sometimes "near." Boolean operators allow you to expand or restrict your search by specifying the relationship of terms being searched. Parentheses may be used to sequence operations and group words.
And - requires all terms appear in a record. Use the Boolean operator "and" to narrow your search.
Example: China AND exports
This search will retrieve only items located
in the yellow area where the two circles overlap.
More examples for AND searches:
- shakespeare and tragedy - retrieves material with both Shakespeare and tragedy anywhere in the same bibliographic record.
- dallas cowboys and superbowl - retrieves bibliographic records containing both the phrase Dallas Cowboys and the word Superbowl.
- rain forests and brazil - retrieves records with both the phrase rain forests and the country brazil.
Or - retrieves records with either term.
Use the Boolean operator "or" to broaden your search. This search will retrieve the all the items More examples for OR searches:
Not - excludes terms and retrieves material when the
first term is desired but not the second term. Use not
to exclude a word or phrase from your search. (Note: some databases use
"and not.") Example: computers NOT software This search retrieves items only from the yellow area. More examples for NOT searches:
Truncation - gives you the ability
to enter the first part of a keyword, insert a symbol (usually an *, sometimes a ? or $), and retrieve any variant spellings or word endings, from the
occurrence of the symbol forward. Using a truncation symbol allows you to
shorten or truncate your search term. Examples:
Phrase - more than one keyword, searched exactly as keyed (all terms are required to be in documents, in the order keyed).
Sometimes a phrase is called a "character string." Quotes are used to hold words together as a phrase. Examples: Nesting
Example: teens OR youth
located in both circles - the entire yellow area.
The pink area will be eliminated.
- dallas and (football or basketball)—retrieves information on either sport in Dallas.
- (rain forest* or rainforest*) and (mexico or brazil)—retrieves material on the rainforests of either country.
- (television and violen*) and (children or youth or adolescenc* or teen*) - retrieves material related to the effects of violent television on those under 21.
- (add or attention deficit disorder) and adult* - retrieves sources concerning adults with attention deficit disorder.
- television and (children or youth) - retrieves sources on the effects of television on children or youth.
- (vietnam or vietnamese) not war - retrieves material on Vietnam but not the war.
- "college students" and ("financial aid" or scholarships) - locates information on either financial aid or scholarships for college students.
- (aids or hiv) and ("college students" or youth) not "high school students" will retrieve material on college students with aids or hiv, but will exclude material on high school students.
- (multicultural or intercultural or diversity) and education - retrieves information on multicultural education.
- ("seasonal affective disorder" or "winter blues") and (mood or depression)-retrieves information on how seasons affect mood.
Proximity Searching - a way specifying that your search terms be found within a certain distance of each other. Use NEAR to indicate a proximity search.
Examples:
- Troy near Aikman retrieves information on either Troy Aikman or Aikman, Troy.
- art near history retrieves information on either art history or the history of art.