Peirce College Information Literacy Tutorial

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Keyword Searching

Another way to find subject headings is to do a keyword search. A keyword search allows you to locate articles that include your keywords within the title, abstract, or subject heading areas.

Let's say you searched using the keyword privacy. Look at the following record to see where the database found that word. Notice the other subject headings that you could enter as keywords to help you find additional articles.

 

DATABASE RECORD

Authors
Hawkins, Dana.

Title
Privacyworries arise over spyware in kids' software.

Source
US News & World Report. p 55. 2000 July

Subject Headings
Computer privacy
Internet
Software

Abstract
Many free programs, including games, that are downloaded from the Internet and display advertising contain spyware, a type of program that can violate privacyand relay information over a users Internet connection.

Use keyword searching to

  • start your research
  • identify the subject headings used for your topic
  • find specific information (a fact, date or name)
  • find every occurrence of the words you enter in that database
  • Searching using a single keyword may be easy; but most of your topics are probably more complex than a single word can describe.

The following pages will give you some tips for combining more than one idea effectively.

 

 

 

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