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 drop-down feature, located on the blue banner above the search box.

Hovering your cursor over Subjects will show a drop-down menu of options:

• Academic Search Complete--Subject Terms
• APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms
• Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition--Subjects
• MEDLINE--MeSH 2023
• Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection--Subjects 

The Targeted Search includes multiple databases to search within, hence the number of options to choose from under the Subjects List heading. After selecting from the above list, you can enter your search terms in the browse field. The following example is demonstrated in the Academic Search Complete option.

For example, entering gender identity creates a list of subject terms to choose from. You can select multiple terms by marking the box next to the subject term and clicking the Add button; this will add the terms to the Find field. From there, you can run a search in the Academic Search Complete database.  

If you click on any of the subject terms you will see scope notes 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.