Locating and Using Subject Headings

The official subject headings in UC Merced Library's catalog, UC Library Search, are based on the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Because UC Library Search is a statewide system, the subject headings are the same across all UC campus libraries.

Subject headings are part of each UC Library Search catalog record. For example, a search for cookery retrieved this e-book:

If you scroll down this record, you'll see the list of official subject headings for this e-book:

If we were looking for other books about cooking fish, we could click "Cooking (Fish)" for additional resources:

EBSCO databases use the phrases "Subject Terms," "Subject Headings," and "Search Terms" to describe their subject headings or controlled vocabulary. All EBSCO databases have their links to subject headings at or near the top of their interfaces. Academic Search Complete uses "Subject Terms," which can be found at the top of the database in the menu bar.

But, as with UC Library Search, you could also do a keyword search for "cooking," then find official subject headings included in the database record. As with UC Library Search, you can click one of those subject headings to do a search for items classified under that subject heading.

Unlike UC Library Search or EBSCO databases like Academic Search Complete, ProQuest databases tend to use the therm "Thesaurus" to describe their subject headings. The thesaurus in PsycINFO, a ProQuest database, is at the top of the interface.