Your assignments for Competency 3 (Module 3 in Blackboard) require you to perform both keyword and subject heading searches in a database of your choice.
What is the difference between keyword and subject heading searching?
Keyword searching is a flexible, natural language approach to database searching on a topic. Search results will be retrieved based on the keywords that you enter into the database search boxes. As you read through your search results, you may begin to recognize additional keywords to use in your search strategy to locate more articles.
Subject heading searching is a targeted, more specific way to search for articles. Articles in databases are indexed (or categorized) with subject heading terminology which works like a thesaurus. If there is more than one way of describing a concept or topic (i.e. hypertension or high blood pressure), the subject heading will take all of those varieties into consideration - saving you the time of having to experiment with different keywords. For example, the subject heading for Hypertension will compile articles that mention either hypertension or high blood pressure.
To begin your search, click on Advanced Search in your chosen database. There are a variety of search techniques you can utilize, as outlined below. Use these techniques when building your keyword search in the Advanced Search boxes.
| Boolean Operators |
Boolean operators provide a logical way to combine search terms using AND, OR, or NOT AND will narrow your search by combining one of more terms together cancer AND fatigue will retrieve results with both of those keywords present OR will broaden your search by finding results with any of the keywords present cancer OR neoplasm will retrieve results with either keyword NOT will exclude designated terms from your results cancer NOT lymphoma will retrieve results on cancer but exclude any with the keyword lymphoma VIDEO TUTORIALS: CINAHL Advanced Searching (applicable for all EBSCO databases) | |
| Phrase Searching |
Use of quotes will tell the database to retrieve results with that exact keyword phrase "Algase Wandering Scale" |
| Nesting |
Use of parentheses will group desired search terms together in combination with appropriate Boolean operators (dementia OR "Alzheimer's disease") AND ("fall prevention" OR "fall risk assessment") |
| Truncation/Stemming |
Use of an asterisk * after the root of a keyword will search for various word endings nurs* will find nurse, nurses, nursing anesth* will find anesthesiology, anesthetist, anesthesiologist |
CINAHL and MEDLINE Databases
| Database | STEP 1 - To begin a subject heading search, click Advanced Search, then click the following corresponding link per database: | ||
| CINAHL | CINAHL Headings | ||
| MEDLINE | MEDLINE - MeSH 2025 (note - MeSH is an acronym for Medical Subject Headings) | ||
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STEP 2 - Proceed with your search by following the instructions in the Using CINAHL/MeSH Headings video tutorial | ||
Additional Relevant EBSCOhost Databases
| Database | STEP 1 - To begin a subject heading search, click Advanced Search, then click the following corresponding link per database: |
| Alt Health Watch | Subjects |
| APA PsycINFO | APA Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms |
| Education Research Complete | Thesaurus |
| ERIC | Thesaurus |
| Health Source: Nursing/Academic | Subjects |
| LGBTQ+ Source | Thesaurus |
| Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection | Subjects |
| SocINDEX | Subject Terms |
| Sociological Collection | Subjects |
| SPORTDiscus | Thesaurus |
| STEP 2 - Proceed with your search by following the instructions in the Browsing Subject Terms in EBSCOhost Databases video tutorial |