Most of us just start typing when we encounter a search box. However, understanding the differences between
keywords - words anywhere in a record or text and
subject headings or descriptors - phrases assigned to a catalog record by a human being who has assessed the content
can help you to focus or to expand your search. Using subject headings will pull together related records with terminology you may have not considered in your keyword search.
Below are some examples of keyword searches and related subject headings.
| Keywords |
Subject Headings |
| ottoman literature | turkish litetature--history and criticism turkey--intellectual life sufism--history renaissance--turkey turkey--history--ottoman empire 1288 1918 |
| colonial arkansas |
french--arkansas indians of north america--arkansas arkansas--history--19th century jesuits--missions--new france north america--discovery and exploration--french mississippi river valley--history--to1803 new france |
| trail of tears |
trail of tears, 1838-1839 cherokee indians--history indian removal forced migration cherokee indians--government relations cherokee indians--politics and government cherokee indians--land tenure |
| acadians |
acadians--migrations french-canadians--maritime provinces cajuns--history louisiana--ethic relations |
| female patients at hot springs, arkansas |
hot springs, ark--history hot springs, ark--social life and customs health resorts gynecology--united states--history medicine--united states--history women--mental health--history hysteria--history |
| belleau wood |
belleau wood, battle of, france, 1918 united states--marine corps--history--world war 1914 1918 world war 1914 1918--campaigns france world war 1914 1918--regimental histories--united states |
| nasser / bhutto |
egypt--politics and government--1950-1972 paklstan--politics and government--1971-1988 pakistan--foreign relations egypt--history--intervention--1956 united states--foreign economic relations--egypt egypt--relations--arab countries arab nationalism decolonization |
| russian orthodox church in the u.s. |
orthodox eastern church--united states united states--religious life and customs orthodox church in america--history interdenominational cooperation russian americans serbian americans ukranian americans |
| water in the west |
water rights--west u.s. water rights--utah water rights--paiute indians water resource development--west u.s. irrigation--government policy economic development--environmental aspects west u s--environmental conditions |
| french cold war relations |
france--foreign relations--20th century france--foreign relations--1945- europe, eastern--foreign relations--france communism--france--history--20th century |
| car culture |
automobiles--social aspects automobile industry and trade--[place]--history automobile travel [specific makes of cars, e.g. "mercedes benz"] |
The Library of Congress Subject Headings use standard subdivisions under place names (countries, states, counties, cities, and other geographic divisions) to classify works. These are some of our favorites for history, most can be further subdivided by time period:
| Subject Terms | Used For |
|---|---|
| --history |
Any work of history. Can be divided by time period; each place has its own unique set of time period divisions. Example: arkansas--history--19th century Catalogers will assign the most specific time period that applies to the entire work. |
| --civilization |
cultural studies and characteristics |
| --economic conditions |
trade and business, income and distribution of wealth |
| --foreign relations |
diplomatic relations between countries or regions |
| --intellectual life |
literature, philosophy, political thought, public discourse |
| --personal narratives* |
first-hand accounts of historical events |
| --politics and government |
elections, campaigns, parties, legislative process |
| --social conditions |
poverty or affluence, housing, labor, educational attainment, social classes |
| --social life and customs |
folkways, popular culture |
| --sources* |
collections of original source documents |