Answered By: GRA Reference
Last Updated: Aug 19, 2022     Views: 83

When you perform a subject search, the system uses your search terms to look for a Library of Congress Subject Heading which is a very specific subject that has been assigned by a library cataloger. For example, the correct subject heading for the American Revolutionary War is "United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783." These searches are best performed when you know the specific subject heading.  You can also click on the links to subject headings you find within KentLINK to take you to more items about that subject. 

When you perform a keyword search, the system looks for your search terms in many areas within KentLINK's item records, including title, author, subject, table of contents, chapter title, summary, etc. If you are doing a search for a title and author together (for example, poe raven), you should perform the search as a keyword search. Be aware that when you perform a keyword search using an author's name, you will find both items written by the author and items written about the author (biographies, criticism, etc.).

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