DEVELOPING YOUR SEARCH STRATEGY--some TIPS
Keywords vs. Subject Headings
- Some keywords have assigned subject headings while others do not.
- To find if your keyword(s) have a suggested subject heading,
look for a link to the Thesaurus, Subject Terms, MeSH, CINAHL Headings (names varies depending on database).- Some databases do not allow subject searching (that is, they don't have a thesaurus).
Spell out acronyms. For example, "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act" for HIPAA
Research support from subject specialist/liaison librarians. Librarians can help you with...