USING SUBJECT HEADINGS AND KEYWORDS TO FIND INFORMATION

Subject Headings

Assigned by human beings

Reflect what the indexer thinks the content of the item is

Controlled Vocabulary -- Only certain terms are used

Subject Heading might not reflect any words actually in the item

Keywords

Computer produced

All of the words in an item, excluding "little words" called STOP WORDS.

STOP WORDS often include: a an of the from about in or any other little words that take lots of computer time but contribute little to meaning.

The computer program might ignore stop words or refuse to deal with them.

It is safer to leave stop words out of a keyword search.

What Kinds Of Search Terms Are Available to You?

Print Index -- Subject Heading only

IRIS Online Catalog -- Subject Heading and Keyword

Electronic Periodical Index -- Subject Heading and Keyword

World Wide Web Searching -- Mostly Keyword