Keyword vs. Controlled Vocabulary Searching 12 Basic Skills for IQ

The four pillars of IQ Find Retrieve Analyze Use Searching for information falls under the “Find” portion of the FRAU acronym that defines the four pillars of Information Quality

What is keyword searching? Uses common language to find information in databases Searches across multiple fields May be truncated for searching on word variations May be used in combination with other keywords

What is controlled vocabulary searching? Uses subject headings or descriptors assigned to database records to find information Does not allow use of variant forms of the subject terms Controlled vocabulary/subject headings/ descriptors can be thought of as formal ways of “tagging” information Image source:

Advantages Keyword searching May be used to find information on current subjects, trends May use synonyms May combine terms (using AND, OR, or NOT) May be used to find subject headings Subject searching Hits usually relevant May provide suggestions for narrower, broader, or related terms Will return all items in the database indexed with the subject term used in the search

Disadvantages Keyword searching Results are often too broad, returning irrelevant hits Not indexed to specific fields in records Multiple search terms are often needed to find relevant information Subject searching Cannot take advantage of recently coined terms, new topics or jargon If the database does not provide a thesaurus or browsable list, determining the proper subject heading can be difficult

Where do you search? Online databases Library catalog World Wide Web

Sample Keyword Search: Online Database

Sample Subject Search: Online Database

Sample Keyword Search: Library Catalog

Sample Subject Search: Library Catalog

Sample Keyword Search: World Wide Web

Google Advanced Search

Sample Focused Keyword Search: World Wide Web

Effective searching Depends on the database being searched Depends on the quality of the database’s indexing Combines the best elements of keyword and subject searching

When searching, remember… If using keywords, search all synonyms and word forms, including variations in spelling Often, enclosing words in quotation marks will tell the database or search engine to search the words as a phrase If the database uses subject headings or descriptors, find a subject heading that comes closest to your research topic If you get stuck, overwhelmed or frustrated, contact a librarian

Questions? Please contact me or one of the other Stitt librarians if you have questions or need help. Kathy Fowler Stitt Library