IWU OCLS Blog

Keywords vs. Subject Terms

Keywords vs. Subject Terms 

Research can be challenging. We all look for ways to spend less time researching and still find what we need to complete our assignments. 

Knowing the difference between keywords and subject terms will help you conquer research and save time. 

Keywords

• Keywords are what you type into Google.


• They are important words or phrases that describe the key concepts of your topic.


• When you search for keywords, the database looks in any part of the article (e.g., title, abstract, author, text, etc.) for the keyword.


• Using keywords can return too many or too few results because the database is only searching for the word or phrase you typed in.


• Many times, the search results are irrelevant and not about your subject. 

Subject Terms

• Subject terms are words that have been given to an article and identify its subject and main topics.


• These words are pre-defined by the database.


• You must know what the Subject Term is to search for them.


• Subject Terms can be found in the databases’ Subject Terms or Thesaurus link, usually found in the top menu.

• Search results will be more relevant than a keyword search since the articles will be about your subject. 

When you need help with research, OCLS is here to help guide you through searching databases to find articles for your assignments. 

Contact OCLS at 1-800-521-1848, email OCLS, or Submit a Request Form.