Identifying Search Keywords and Subject Headings

Subject v. Keyword

Keyword Searching: generally finds more results, but some of the items retrieved may be irrelevant. A keyword is a word that shows up somewhere in a record. It can be part of the title, subject, abstract or it may appear in the first few paragraphs of an article. The database will search precisely for the words you typed. In most instances, Internet Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, Dogpile, etc.) are set up to search for the keywords within a string of words.

Characteristics of a Keyword: Computers do not understand our language, so we need to translate research questions into the words and phrases a database can identify.

• Keywords or keyword phrases are the words that best represent the information you are seeking.
• Keywords are almost always Nouns. (for example: Nutritional (adjective) becomes a (noun) Nutrition)
• If one of your keywords in your question is a verb or action word, determine its noun form. (for example: if you use imprisoned (verb) in your question, change the word to imprisonment (noun) and use the noun form in your search.
  

Subject Searching: Identifying the correct subject headings for your topic will help you focus your research results. Most research databases will have a feature allowing you to enter exact subject headings. When you do a subject search, you are only searching the Subject Heading field in the database. Subject searches frequently find fewer, but more relevant items.

Rule of Thumb to remember:
Every Subject Heading is a Keyword, but not every Keyword is a Subject Heading.

Keyword Exercise Assignment:

To make sure you fully comprehend how to identify Keywords from a Research Question, click on Finding Keywords in a Question Exercise.

Identifying Your Keywords

Using the Research Question you developed, underline or circle the keywords or key concepts from your question that you can use to research your topic.

For Example the keywords from the following Research Question would be:

What benefits can an urban mass transit system provide in revitalizing economic development and growth in today's U.S. metropolitan areas?

AND AND AND

Your next step is to identify alternate keywords/synonyms (related words) for each of the keywords you listed above.

(For example: Alternate keywords or synonyms for mass transit might include:
urban transportation; mass transit systems; rapid transit; light rail or subways.)

AND AND AND
AND AND AND
AND AND AND

Example:

For an example of Keywords from a question and their alternate Keywords, Click Here.

Assignment:

1. Using your Approved Research Question, Click on the Keyword Exercise word document, and type in your Research Question.

2. Next identify the keywords from your Question and put them in BOLD or underline them.

Subject Heading Exercise

To identify the Subject Headings related to your main topic, use your main keywords from your Research Question, and conduct a keyword search in the ClicNet, WorldCat or the Library of Congress to identify the appropriate Subject Headings for the key concept stated in your Research Question.

How to Find Subject Heading Examples:

If you need help in determining how to locate the appropriate subject headings for your Topic, Click on this Instruction Sheet.