Subject headings allow you to search for resources on a particular author or topic and are often more productive than keyword searches.
Keyword searches work best if you have multiple concepts or topics and need only a few books.
For a comprehensive subject search, search with subject headings as well as keywords.
Searching Omni
Start with a keyword search, but expect to revise it.
Keyword Searching TIPS|
Search Technique |
What It Does |
|
quotation marks |
Searches for exact phrase |
|
Truncation * |
Searches for all forms of a word |
|
Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) |
Lets you broaden or narrow your search |
For example:
"slave trade" AND africa
("slave trade" OR slavery) AND africa*
When searching OMNI for books, use the facets located on the search results screen, to limit your search results to books & ebooks.
When you find relevant results, note the subject headings assigned. Refining your search using the same subject heading terminology may yield more precise results.
Subject Headings
Africa
Africa, Central
Africa, Sub-Saharan
Congo
Decolonization
Kenya
South Africa
These headings are further qualified by topical, geographic, or chronological subheadings.
Africa -- Colonial influence
Africa -- Colonization -- History
Africa -- History
Africa -- History -- Autonomy and independence movements
Africa, Central -- Discovery and exploration
Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Politics and Government
Decolonization -- Africa
Slave trade -- History
South Africa -- Anti-Apartheid Movements
South Africa -- Race relations
Women -- Africa -- History -- 20th century
QUL Libraries arranges books by Library of Congress call numbers. Though history is covered in every discipline (e.g., women's history may be located in the women's studies call numbers), the major sections for African history are listed below.
For a more specific breakdown of the call numbers see the Library of Congress Classification for DT.
Cambridge Histories Online Collection contains over 300 volumes published since 1960, covering over 15 different academic subjects, e.g.
Cambridge History of Africa
Cambridge History of South Africa