Subject terms, also known as controlled vocabulary, are special words used by databases to describe what an article is about. Using subject terms allows for a precise search, as the selected terms do not need to be explicitly stated in an article's text. To perform a subject search, you must know the specific terms used by the database. Reviewing subject terms from previous relevant articles found in that database can help identify appropriate search terms, as controlled vocabularies vary between databases.

1. SEARCHING:
SUBJECT TERMS/ CONTROLLED
VOCABULARY

2. Subject terms (sometimes called the “controlled
vocabulary”) include the special language used by
databases to describe what an article is about
• Subject terms can help you conduct a very precise search
• Unlike keywords, when you search for a subject, the selected subject words
need not be included explicitly in the article’s text
• In order to conduct a subject search, you must first know the specific subject
terms that a database uses

3. If you have previously used a database to find a
relevant article, look at the database record for
that article to find its subject terms:
• The terms used by different databases vary, so specific subject terms are
typically only useful within a specific database

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