Database Features
Subject Heading and Keywords
Most databases allow you to search in two ways
- by subject, using subject headings
- by keyword, using words that you choose
The list of subject terms (called subject headings, descriptors, identifiers, etc.) can be found in a thesaurus, or in other publications such as the MeSH (Medical Subject Headings).
There are advantages and disadvantages to each method.
Subject vs. Keyword
| Subject | Keyword | |
| Advantages |
When a list of subject terms (thesaurus) is available, it helps you to find the appropriate search term. When a list of subject terms is available, it provides you with suggested terms for narrower, broader or related topics. Using the appropriate subject heading for a topic will retrieve all items in the database indexed under that topic. |
Using keyword/s will retrieve items containing new terms, distinctive words, or jargon. If you do not know the appropriate subject heading, descriptor or identifier for your topic, you can conduct a keyword search first and look at a relevant item for the appropriate subject term. |
| Disadvantages |
New topics and jargon may not yet be included in the list of subject terms. When a database does not provide a list of subject terms, the vocabulary used may not be obvious. |
You may retrieve items that are not relevant to your topic. In order to retrieve more relevant items, you need to use a variety of terms. For example, to retrieve items about "movies", a keyword search must include related terms such as "films", "cinema", etc. |