| Terms | Summary |
|---|---|
|
Keyword Searching (also called Freesearching or Ad hoc searching) |
Uses terms generated by users to search. Searches full text. Can Be unwieldy |
| Subject Searching |
Uses terms generated by Controlled Vocabulary and assigned to articles Searches only assigned subject headings Can be limiting |
A Subject Heading--also known as an Index Term, Subject Term, or a Controlled Vocabulary--is a descriptive word or phrase assigned to an article that allows other articles with similar focus to be classified accordingly and enables them to be found together, which is why they are particularly useful in Systematic Literature Searching.
While most articles have subject headings assigned to them, it is still important to mix searching with subject headings with freely generated keywords to get the best Search Recall.
| Database | Subject Heading(s) | Field Tag(s) | Explosion |
|---|---|---|---|
| PubMed | MeSH | [Mesh] (after) | Automatic unless [MeSH:NoExp] is used |
| CINAHL (Ebsco) | MeSH, CINAHL Subject Headings | DE (before) | + after broader term includes all specific terms |
| PsycINFO (Ebsco) | APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms | MM (before) | adds the specific terms individually with OR |
| SPORTDiscus (Ebsco) | SPORTDiscus topical Thesaurus | DE (before) | adds the specific terms individually with OR |
| ERIC (Ebsco) | ERIC Thesaurus | DE (before) | adds the specific terms individually with OR |
| Sociological Abstracts / Social Services Abstracts / GenderWatch (ProQuest) | Thesaurus | MAINSUBJECT(subject term) | MAINSUBJECT.EXACT.EXPLODE(subject term) |