Library and Internet Skills
Subject Searching
Subject Searching | Subject Keyword | Related Searching
You can use the Subject option on the find menu to find information on a subject. There are other effective methods of searching for materials on a subject called Keyword searching or Advanced searching, which you may prefer.
Subject versus Advanced Searching
Subject Searching
When you search by Subject you are searching a formal set of vocabulary called 'Library of Congress Subject Headings.' Cataloguers assign Subject Headings to each book describing what the book is about.
One advantage of Subject Searching using Subject Headings is that it can focus very precisely, due to a highly developed system of subdivisions.
The disadvantage of Subject Searching is that you need to know the correct Subject Heading in order to find anything. Sometimes Library of Congress Subject Headings can be inflexible, dated, or the word order may be difficult to remember.
Advanced Searching
Advanced Searching allows you to search the Subject Headings, author, title and other parts of the record all at once. You can also combine your search vocabulary using Boolean search techniques and field searching. Advanced searching is a very flexible method of searching the catalogue.
The disadvantage is that you sometimes will come up with a large number of items, some of which are not relevant to your topic. Your efficiency with Advanced searching will improve as you master more advanced techniques.
How to Subject Search
1. Select Subject from the Find menu.
2. Enter a Subject Heading.
You can look up Library of Congress Subject Headings in a set of large red volumes which you may see displayed in your library.
Another method is to look at the Subject Headings attached to records for books that you have already found. This method will be described under 'Related Searching' below.
Finally, you can use trial and error. Enter a word. If it is a correct heading, you will get a list of options. If it is not a correct heading, you may get a reference telling you what the correct heading is. If you strike out completely, don't give up! This does not mean that U of T does not have any books on your subject. It just means that you need to try a different approach. Try a different word, or consider Keyword or Advanced searching.
Examples:
A) Finding information about a person:
1. Choose Browse and Subject
2. Enter the person's surname followed by the first name, or first initial.
(Please note, if you try this search your screen may look a little different)
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The Library Catalogue divides the entries for material about Margaret Atwood into different topics. These topics are called 'subdivisions.' For biographies of Margaret Atwood, select click on "ATWOOD MARGARET ELEANOR 1939- BIBLIOGRAPHY". For criticism of her novel Alias Grace, select "ATWOOD MARGARET ELEANOR 1939- ALIAS GRACE". 'Bibliography' and 'Criticism and Interpretation' are also common subdivisions for individuals.
B) Finding information about a Country
Enter the name of the country, preferably with a subdivision.
Example: To find information about politics in Argentina type in "argentina politics and government:
This works because 'Argentina -- Politics and Government' is a correct Library of Congress Subject Heading.
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Common subdivisions used with countries:
- antiquities
- armed forces
- history
- bibliography
- biography
- civilization
- commerce
- description and travel
- economic conditions
- emigration and immigration
- foreign relations
- languages
- maps
- politics and government
- social conditions
- social life and customs
Subject keyword
Subject keyword is an effective way to search when you know part of a Library of Congress Subject Heading, but are unsure of the full heading, or the correct word order.
Continuing with our example earlier, if you were looking for criticism of Margaret Atwood's work, you could do the following.
1) Using the basic search screen kick on "keyword" and select "subject" from the pull down menu.
2) Enter atwood's surname, and criticism, which is part of the Subject Heading, 'Criticism and interpretation.'
This will find the works of criticism about Margaret Atwood, which have "Atwood, Margaret Eleanor, 1939- -- Criticism and Interpretation" as a Subject Heading.
Related Searching
Related Searching is a good way to find more books on your topic once you have found at least one good book.
1) Start out with a record for a book on your topic.
2) Notice that the author's name and the subject headings are hyperlinks. If you click on the author's name you will get more books my the same author. If you click on a subject heading you will get other books with the same subject.
3) Notice the buttons beneath the record that say "more by same author(s)" and "more on same subject(s)." You can use these buttons to find similar materials.
Tip
Sometimes you may find that the Subject Headings in a record have too many subdivisions and are too specific for what you are looking for. In that case you can make a note of the first part of the Subject Heading, cut it off at the point that interests you, and use it in a Subject Search.
For example, instead of looking for 'Cancer -- Patients -- Care -- Moral and ethical aspects' as in the first Related Subject above, you could cut the heading off after patients and do a subject search as follows.
Another option would be to use the terminology that you see in the Subject Headings for a Keyword or Advanced Search.
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