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 |
Use a keyword search if you do not know the correct subject heading for a topic. Think of the focus (or key) words that describe your topic. For example:
(economy OR economics) AND Yemen
Select useful titles and look at the full record for subject headings.
Israel--Social conditions--20th century
Pyramids--Egypt
Syria--Antiquities
Mass media and women--Middle East
Click on the subject heading to do a new search or use words from the subject heading to modify your keyword search.
Examples of subject headings relating to Middle Eastern Studies:
Arab-Israeli conflict
Iran--Economic conditions
Israel and the diaspora
Jerusalem--Politics and government
Jewish-Arab relations
Middle East--Geography
Persian Gulf War, 1991