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Information Literacy Tutorial: F. Keyword and Subject Searching

A module-based information literacy tutorial that addresses each stage of the research process, including selecting a topic, identifying information needs, selecting sources, locating information, evaluating information, and citing sources.

Keyword and Subject Searching

 

  Keyword and Subject Searching  

Keyword Searching 

A keyword (or word) search retrieves words or phrases from several important fields, usually title, subject and abstract.

Keyword search: information communication technology

 

 
Subject Searching

A subject search involves searching for a subject heading in a database.  A subject heading is a consistent term used when there are several ways to state a concept. Search in the database thesaurus to find a subject heading for your topic.

Subject Search: information technology

 

  

   
Keyword & Subject Comparison 

Keyword Searching       Subject Searching

-Searches subject, title, and abstract fields
-May search for any term
-May retrieve irrelevant items

 

 

 

-Searches subject field only
-Must use subject headings (from database thesaurus)
-Retrieves relevant items




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