Finding Books -- Part 4 Searching SCHOLAR by Topic Authored by Kathy Dobda and Ken Burhanna The text only versions provide a linear presentation of the Hands-On flash modules.  The Hands-On modules often incorporate images and interactive presentations to help demonstrate and support the text.  These images and interactive features are lost in the text only format.  Users can supplement their reading of the text versions by going onto the World Wide Web and visiting the web sites and doing the searches that the text indicates.  This is most easily done by printing the text version and using it as a guide. After completing this module you will be able to: 1. Differentiate Keyword Searching from Subject Searching 2. Search SCHOLAR by Keyword 3. Search SCHOLAR by Subject Heading 4. Use a Keyword Search to Find a Subject Heading Introduction Searching by topic is one of the most common uses of the SCHOLAR catalog. This lesson will discuss two approaches to topic searching:  Keyword and Subject searching.  It will help you differentiate the two types of searches and demonstrate how they can be used together in an effective search strategy. 1. The Difference Between Keyword and Subject Searching You can search SCHOLAR for information on a topic two ways: -  by Keyword -  or by Subject Keyword Searching A Keyword search retrieves words in titles, author names, content notes, names of publishers, and Library of Congress Subject Headings.   Because a keyword search looks for any word or combination of words that appears in these fields, it is often referred to as a free-text or natural language search. A keyword search will look for words in all the fields enclosed in boxes on this catalog record                             The up-side to keyword searching is that it is very flexible and allows searchers to find items by looking for unique words that appear in the record. On the down-side, keyword searching, because it searches so broadly and without context, can produce "false hits," meaning that it returns records that are not relevant to the topic you're searching for. Subject Searching Subject searching, on the other hand, uses a controlled vocabulary (also called a thesaurus) that catalogers apply to catalog records to describe the Library item. A controlled vocabulary is a standardized collection of terms that has been agreed upon for the purposes of description.  Using a controlled vocabulary ensures that the same terms are used to describe materials on similar subjects.  For example, catalogers know to index an item about attorneys to the subject heading Lawyers. The University Library follows the standards of the Library of Congress Subject Headings. A subject search will look specifically for subject headings that appear in the subject field of the catalog record. Subject searching produces very narrow results and allows searchers to focus on their topics and specific aspects of their topics.  Subject searches also have a very high relevancy rate.  If you are using the right subject heading, you can count on relevant search results. Yet subject searching requires searchers to know the correct subject headings to use.  This can be a time consuming process, requiring searchers to look through many large volumes. Let's look at the results of a subject and a keyword search that both use "cloning" as their search term. A keyword search of "cloning" returns 122 items that include the word cloning in their catalog records. A subject search of "cloning" returns 21 related subject headings.  You would then browse these and make the appropriate selection based on what aspect of cloning you're interested in. 2. Searching SCHOLAR by Keyword To get started on a keyword search, click on the "Keyword" search link. This is the keyword search screen.  It has boxes that allow for many advanced search features.  As a beginner, you should be mainly concerned with the long box at the top with the Search button next to it. This is where keywords are to be entered. Keywords typed in consecutively without an operator between them will be searched as a phrase.  You can combine terms with the basic "AND" or "OR" operators. "divorce attorney"              -- searches for these words in this order "divorce AND attorney"     -- searches for records that contain both the                                                    words divorce and attorney. "divorce OR attorney"       -- searches for records that contain the word                                                   divorce or the word attorney. How Do I Decide Which Terms to Use as Keywords? This is one of the challenges of keyword searching.  Because keyword searching is not looking at a controlled vocabulary, different terms meaning the same thing could be present in the catalog.   To determine the best keywords to use, you need to analyze your topic and begin focusing it.  Review the Hands-On lesson Focusing Your Topic for more information on this process. Do a keyword search looking for materials about Eliot Ness's time in Cleveland as city safety director.   Which of the following search expressions would be the best to start with? A. eliot ness AND cleveland B. eliot ness AND cleveland safety director C. ness and cleveland - Do you need to include both the first name along with the last name.  Maybe the last name is unique enough. - Also, do the words safety director need to be included.  Perhaps that would make your search too narrow for now. The best answer is C. ness and Cleveland. Be careful not to start with keyword terms that are too narrow.  Start broadly and then add terms to focus your search if necessary. 3. Searching SCHOLAR by Subject Heading To get started on a subject search, click the appropriate link. Type in all or part of the most appropriate Library of Congress Subject Heading for your search. You need to be accurate with your spelling and word order. How Do I Find the Most Appropriate Subject Heading? We mentioned earlier that this is one of the challenges to subject searching.  You can try two approaches: 1. Look up potential subject headings in the Library of Congress Subject Heading manuals located at call number Z695.Z8 L524a in the reference area.  The manuals include cross-references to help point you to the correct terms. 2. Use a keyword search to identify appropriate subject headings.  We'll discuss this in more detail in a few moments. Let's take another look at our previous subject search for "cloning." Subject headings work in a hierarchical fashion from the broad to the specific. You can see from the first few subject headings listed here for cloning that the LC Subject Headings employ a number of sub-headings to focus a main heading to a narrower aspect of the subject. Cloning Cloning -- Law and legislation Cloning -- Law and legislation -- United States                    It's best then to use the broadest subject heading to start with and then let SCHOLAR show you what else is available for narrower headings.   4. Using a Keyword Search to Find a Subject Heading We mentioned earlier that it can be difficult to locate the appropriate subject headings to use.  This is especially true if you are working from a computer outside of the Library and you don't have access to the LC Subject Heading manuals. A helpful method for these situations is to start with a keyword search and then use your results to identify appropriate subject headings. How It Works: Pearl Growing Pearl growing is a technical term that advanced researchers use to describe a rather simple process: Find a catalog record that meets the needs of your research topic and then use the information found in that record to plan another search that is more precise. More specifically, we want to find a good record with a keyword search and then use the subject headings found in that record to do a more focused and precise search. Pretend you need information on the native americans or indians who lived in Ohio before the Europeans arrived. You decide to start with a keyword search, Indians and ohio. You should return 99 records for your search.  Examine the titles of these records.   Number 7, Encyclopedia of Ohio Indians seems right on the money.  Now look at the subject headings.   Indians of North America -- Ohio Go ahead and click on this subject heading to search it right now. By doing a subject search on your topic, you have focused your search to the subject heading Indians of North America -- Ohio and related headings.  You have also eliminated non-relevant records that might have turned up in your keyword search.  Your next step would be to review these choices and select the one the best meets your needs. Keep this approach in mind when you work with SCHOLAR.  It's an effective and quick way to focus your search with subject headings. This concludes Searching SCHOLAR by Topic