Foundations of Literature Searching

Kyle Feenstra
Education & History Librarian
Elizabeth Dafoe Library

Using Concepts, Keywords and Subject Headings

It is important to be familiar with the language that is used to represent a domain of knowledge before you begin searching the library catalogue.

Researchers commonly use concept mapping strategies to brainstorm and outline vocabulary important to their research topic.  

How to identify concepts and keywords

You can start the process of mapping out concepts and keywords by using your course readings and lecture notes as an initial reference. The library also has a wide range of reference sources. 

• Print Encyclopedias
• Electronic encyclopedias (i.e. Credo)
• Subject Specific Dictionaries
• Biographical Dictionaries

What about Wikipedia?

Wikipedia is an excellent resource to use as well. It is very helpful for identifying keywords. 

Doubts about the accuracy of Wikipedia provide good opportunity to talk about the appropriate use of reference sources.

Use reference sources like Wikipedia to teach yourself background information on your topic. 

Use academic books and articles as the basis for your paper. 

Using Controlled Vocabulary to find Books & Articles

Library catalogues use "controlled vocabularies" to categorize materials by subject area. For monographs we call these subject headings.

Using Controlled Vocabulary to find Books & Articles

Databases also use controlled vocabularies often arranged in the form of a thesaurus. ERIC, for example, has one of the most widely used thesauri for research in Education.

Subject Terms show us how published information within a domain of knowledge has been categorized in library or database.

Subjects are useful for identifying related materials. 

Keywords appear in the record and text of a document. Keywords represent the language used in a domain of knowledge. 

Keyword search results are based on frequency of word use in a document. 

Combinations of subject terms and keywords often produce most precise search results.

Try this...

• In the library catalogue search for books using a keyword from your research topic. List the subject headings used by the first 3 books in your search results. Now repeat your search but use a subject heading instead of a keyword.

• In a database (i.e. ERIC, Scopus, PubMed) search for peer-reviewed articles. List the subject headings used for the first three articles in your search results. Repeat your search using subject headings instead of keywords.

• Search using a combination of one subject heading and one keyword. Notice how search results become more precise as you add search terms. 

Finding Controlled Vocabularies

Use the subject heading search to find the appropriate subject terms for books.

Use the ERIC Thesaurus (in the advanced search) to find the appropriate subject terms for articles.

Citation Management Software - Example

(Example)

APA Style Guides

UM Library copies of recommended APA Guides

Questions?

Kyle Feenstra
Education & History Librarian
Elizabeth Dafoe Library
kyle.feenstra@umanitoba.ca