Subjects and terms
From SLNSW
Successful search strategies require a knowledge of subject terms, subject headings or categories.
Any time you are looking for information on a particular subject you will use tools that are arranged by subject, have indexes which include subjects, or use specific subject heading schemes such as Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH).
You can use a subject approach with your library's catalogue. The books on the shelves of the library are in practice classified by subject, as are indexes to magazine articles. Many of the reference books you use and some web directory subject guide sites are organized by specific categories. These categories are the subject headings.
Working with subject headings
The best way to use these tools well is to determine what subject heading will be used for the topic of your question. However our language is so complex that there are often many ways to describe the same topic. Each tool or web directory site will use the terms that make the most sense for the area covered. Each source may use different terms for the same concepts. For example, some sources will use the heading 'capital punishment' while others will use 'death penalty'. Web search engines generally do not use subject access and thus searches will find any site with the keywords you enter even though the site may have nothing to do with the topic.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) allows for some standardisation in the library online catalogue and standard databases. The terms in this tool are used when adding item records to the catalogue. For that reason the LCSH is a logical place to begin when you are not sure what heading to use or are having trouble finding a subject in your catalogue.
If you don't have these tools, one strategy that often works is to check the subject headings within the catalogue record for another book on the subject. They may appear only as part of the full catalogue record. Online catalogues each work a little differently and you will have to check to see how yours handles subject headings. If you don't find it under one term, try a synonym.
There is no single standard list of subjects used for all reference tools and good cross referencing is rare. Many professions, industries and disciplines have their own subject heading lists, e g medical subject headings (MESH). Try to think of as many different terms for the same concept as you can, and try them all. Broaden the subject if you have trouble. For example, you might find mention of a particular aboriginal artist under her name, 'aboriginal artists', or 'aboriginal art' web searches. For web searching a narrow approach is often necessary in working with such overwhelming numbers of sites. Try using a web subject guide site, eg. Open Directory Project or ipl2 to get started. Know which search engines to use and how they work. Keep track of all the terms you used in your search and pass that list on if you refer the question.
Major point: Successful search strategies require knowledge of subject terms used in library catalogues and resources and knowledge of how search engines work.
Exercises
- Use your online catalogue to see how many subject headings there are for bushfires
- Find out where all those subject headings come from. Look for bushfires as a subject heading in the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Cataloguers assign the subject heading to the catalogue records and understanding more about the heading will help your reference work. If you really want to know more, talk to a cataloguer.
