Database Searching

Language is incredibly important when searching the library's databases. An effective researcher will utilize keywords and subject terms to hone in on a particular topic and identify salient terminology to help flesh out their ideas. 

Keywords are what's entered in typical search engines, such as Google, and are considered a form of natural language. Keywords are an excellent place to start when considering your research topic. Brainstorm important terms or phrases associated with your topic and enter them into WorldCat Discovery or any of the library's databases in order to get started. 

Additional points to consider:

• Keywords can sometimes yield too few or too many results.
• Databases will look for keywords in electronic records that are not necessarily connected to your research topic. You can create search strings with Boolean Operators AND, OR, NOT to help expand upon your topic.

Subject terms refer to terms that are assigned to an article in a library database. These are more precise than keywords and are useful when you want to find resources that follow a similar theme in relation to your topic. Consider the assigned subject terms the "main ideas" of a research article. 

Additional points to consider:

• Subject terms use controlled vocabulary to describe the contents of an article or electronic resource. These are also known as subject headings, descriptors, or thesaurus terms. 
• Subject terms are less flexible than keywords as you need to know the precise controlled vocabulary; however, once you do find the subject term that best fits your topic, the information will be that much easier to locate as it will be grouped more efficiently under that specific subject term. 

The advanced search feature offers a way to help expand potential subject terms to utilize in your database searching. After logging in through Targeted Search look for the Subjects tab, located below the search boxes.

Selecting the Subjects tab opens the APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. You can enter keywords or phrases related to your research to identify controlled vocabulary to make your searches easier. The following examples will look at a search concerning gender identity. 
 

These are some of the results when gender identity is searched in the thesaurus. To incorporate any of the subject terms into your search, check the box next to the search term and select the Add to Search box. You can join any of your terms using the AND, OR, and NOT operators. 

If you click on any of the subject terms you will get a definition for the term in question, along with a list of broader and narrower terms to help shape your search within the database. 

There's also an option to "explode" a term when it's added to your search field, meaning that the search will include all references that are indexed to that particular term.