Locating and Using Subject Headings

Welcome! Here we'll discuss subject headings and keywords: what they are, how to locate them, and how to use them to improve your research.

Outcomes

After reading this guide and doing the included activity, you should:

• know what subject headings are;
• understand the difference between subject headings and keywords;
• know how to locate subject headings in UC Library Search; and
• know how to locate official subject headings in databases, and use them to locate resources in your field.

This tutorial demonstrates how (and why) to use the thesaurus tool to find index terms or subject headings when searching PsycINFO on ProQuest.

Although primarily focused on PsycINFO, these techniques can be used in any database with a thesaurus.

Watch the video shown above, then go to the Library's A-Z Databases list (https://libguides.ucmerced.edu/az.php). There are a number of databases listed on the right under "Popular databases." Take a look at two databases listed there: Academic Search Complete, an EBSCO database, and PsycINFO, a ProQuest database. Try a few searches in each database for practice.

 As mentioned above, even though the video focuses on PsycINFO, the technique can be used across all databases that have a similar thesaurus, sometimes also called an "Index" or "Subject Terms" (depending on the vendor/provider).