3. Controlled vocabulary
Targeted results
Choose subject field or descriptor field
Get results relevant to your topic
4. Natural language
Search through all records
Too many or too few results
Often yields many irrelevant results
Searched as free text in multiple fields
12. Definitions from: Reitz, J. M. (2004-6). ODLIS — Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science. Westport,
CN: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved June 15, 2007, from http://lu.com/odlis/.
13.
14. The type of search that uses controlled vocabulary
A. Keyword
B. Subject
C. Library of Congress
A keyword search will yield too many or too few results
A. True
B. False
Natural language is
A. Using your own words
B. Using controlled vocabulary
Subject searching is
A. Specific
B. Broad
Use both keyword searching and subject searching to get better results
A. True
B. False
15. If you need help, talk to a librarian at the
Reference desk or contact us online at:
http://www.nsu.edu/spartanform/survey.ph
p?sid=1C19BF
Editor's Notes
In this tutorial, you should learn when it is appropriate to use a subject search or a keyword search.
There are differences between keyword searching and subject searching.
A Subject search uses controlled vocabulary for consistency of terms across databases. It also allows you to focus your search specifically on your topic..
A Keyword search uses any word that you can think of that best describes your topic.
The library’s catalog and databases use special language called “controlled vocabulary” for subject heading. These subject terms can differ from database to database but most academic libraries use library of congress or (LC) subject headings.
Using LC heading provides targeted results on a specific topic.
To search a database using subjects terms you have to choose the subject heading or descriptor field.
The results generated from a subject search are usually very relevant to the topic.
Keywords are natural, everyday language to describe your topic
When you use keywords in a database it will search for those words anywhere in its records
May yield too many or too few results
Often yields many irrelevant results
Searched as free text in multiple fields
Use both keyword searching and subject searching to get better results. Use your own words or natural language to start your search with a keyword search. In your results list, focus on the most relevant records and among the subject headings in those records, choose the ones that are suitable for your topic. Now it is the time to turn to subject headings for your research.
If you know the right subject headings to use your search will be more precise. If you are in a database, look to see if the database has an online thesaurus to find the subject heading (s) that best match your topic. This is an example from the Pais database. When you open the database, click on the search tools tab, then the thesaurus tab. In the thesaurus, you can search for terms that come to mind for the topic you are interested in. Now you can see which subject headings are used.
To use the thesaurus, enter a term into the search field, select a display option, then click the go buttom. There are three display options for your results: alphabetical index, hierarchy and rotated index. Hierarchy has been selected. If you were doing research on trade policy in India, you can browse the thesaurus for trade policy to find the correct subject heading: After searching trade policy in the thesaurus, we see that the phrase is a subject heading used in Pais. When you click on the link, you will see an entry for the term that says use commercial policy instead.
In this example, we see that the right subject heading for trade policy is commercial policy according to the index or a theasaurus and we can retrieve all items on the topic. Using subject headings ensures that all items about the same topic have consistent subject headings to be accessed with one search term. Commercial policy is used for trade policy. This saves time.
Now that we know that the correct term for trade policy is commercial policy, we can do a quick search. We have retrieved over 4,000 hits. If you have too many results, click on "Edit Search" at the top of the page and remove some of the descriptors. A descriptor is a term/s used to identify a subject in a record. These results are much more precise than that of a keyword.
Your keyword will be looked for in the title, author name, publisher information, subject, ect. The advantage is that you will find something but it may not be the most relevant on your topic. The disadvantage is that your words may not describe your topic using the controlled terms
Your subject will be looked for in the subject of the book or article. The advantage is that you can search the most relevant materials. The disadvantage is that you may need to know some specialized vocabulary.
Many databases have some form of controlled vocabulary. One term is selected as the preferred word for searching words and concepts in citation; these words and concepts are referred to as subject terms or descriptors.
Descriptor -A preferred term, notation, or sequence of symbols assigned as an access point in the bibliographic record representing a document to indicate one of the subjects of its text (synonymous in library cataloging with the term subject heading).
Free-text search -A search of a bibliographic database in which natural language words and phrases appearing in the text of the documents indexed, or in their bibliographic descriptions, are used as search terms, rather than terms selected from a list of controlled vocabulary (authorized subject headings or descriptors).
Keyword -A significant word or phrase in the title, subject headings (descriptors), contents note, abstract, or text of a record in an online catalog or bibliographic database that can be used as a search term in a free-text search to retrieve all the records containing it.
Subject heading-The most specific word or phrase that describes the subject, or one of the subjects, of a work, selected from a list of preferred terms (controlled vocabulary) and assigned as an added entry in the bibliographic record to serve as an access point in the library catalog.
Lets just a quick review.
Go over each question and pause and then say if you chose B, you are correct. So on and so on.
