Keyword Searching
Keyword searching is generally what you use when you are first beginning a search. Try to break down your topic or research question into the overall main ideas; these main ideas become simple keywords which you may use to search a Library database. A keyword search retrieves words or phrases from several important fields, usually title, subject and abstract.
Pro Tip: keep a terminology list when you are researching a topic. This will help you remember the words you have already tried searching, the combinations you have used, and any new words you noticed in search results that you want to try in your searches later.
Field Searching
A field is a specific part of a record in a database. Common fields that can be searched are: author, title, subject, and abstract. When using the "Advanced Search" screen in uKwazi Search and databases, look for drop down boxes or menus to select the field you want to search. The default field for most databases may be called ‘keyword’ or ‘anywhere’.
Pro Tip: Multiple fields may be combined using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT).
Subject Searching
Subject terms, also called controlled vocabulary, are specific words that have been assigned by a database to describe each book or article within. Library databases use searchable thesauri to arrange these subject terms. You can also use thesauri for ideas on keywords to use in your database searches when you aren’t quite sure which keywords to try.
Pro Tip: Not all databases have searchable thesauri, but many do. Look for a link that says “thesaurus,” “topics,” “subjects,” “descriptors”, “related terms," or look for the "Advanced Search" functionality.
