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Building a Database Search

This guide will help you to build an efficient search for your research.

Where do you find subject headings?

It depends what database you are using! 

Let's start with Academic Search Complete. 

When you are on the home page to begin your search, there is an option in the top left titled "Subject Terms".

Next, type in the keyword that you would like to search. You will receive results specifying which subject heading to use for that keyword.

Here is an example- if you are trying to search for heart attack, the correct subject heading would be "myocardial infarction".

If you were to use heart attack for your search, you would receive irrelevant results that happen to have the words "heart" and "attack" in them. Using the specific subject heading ensures your results will be relevant. 

Gale Academic OneFile has their own subject index. 

You can access theirs using the "Subject Guide Search" on the home page. 

ProQuest has their own "Thesaurus" that appears in a separate tab.

I want to find information about musicals- as in, musical theater. However, "musical" is a broad term. When I search this, I can narrow down my selection to "musical theater". 

Test yourself! - answers

Answers:

  • Birth- CHILDBIRTH or LABOR (Obstetrics)
  • Farming- AGRICULTURE 
  • Farming as a hobby- HOBBY farms
  • Pop music- POPULAR music 
  • Depression- MENTAL depression
  • Weakness- ASTHENIA
  • Sports gambling- SPORTS betting
  • Spongebob- SPONGEBOB SquarePants (Fictional character)