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Start Your Research - A Self-Guided Tutorial

A tutorial to take you through the research process.

2 - Subject Headings

Search By Subject Headings!

Are you having trouble finding relevant articles with your keyword searches?  Try searching library databases by subject headings. It’s an effective way to find focused information on any topic.

What is a Subject Heading?

Subject headings are standardized tags (aka keywords) that describe the content of a book or article. They tell you what the item is about. You can use these tags to find material on the same topic regardless of the words used in the material’s text. For example, if you are researching Martin Luther King, Jr.,  searching for King as a subject can help you find books and articles where King's name doesn't appear in the title.