You
have already learned that there are various types of information: bibliographic,
numeric, textual and graphical. Databases come in a variety of corresponding
"flavors" as well: bibliographic, numeric, full-text, and image or graphical
databases.
In the past, you may
have used printed indexes and card catalogs before to do your research.
Nowadays, much information that was once only in paper indexes and catalogs
has been converted to an electronic form.
Your ability to exploit the information within databases hinges on
your skill to search these fields.
It's usually easy enough for us to figure out how to search the author
or title fields within a database. For example, if we search
the author field in Griffin for "Twain, Mark", we will
retrieve a list of works by that author. Similarly, most people find
it intuitive when searching for a particular book to search
the title field, or conduct a "title search".
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Although we don't always think of print tools like indexes and card
catalogs as "databases," they are precisely that because they
are organized collections of information.
To be useful, databases have to be structured in some fairly definite
ways. Such structure provides organization for massive quantities
of data and allows rapid access to specific pieces of information.
Databases, such as Griffin, ProQuest, and FirstSearch,
follow a definite structure. They are made up of units called records.
Each record, in turn, is made up of fields, which are specific
categories of data about the item-the title of a book, the author
of an article, the publisher (imprint), the publication date.
Familiarity with the structure of records and fields will help
you pinpoint specific information quickly when you do database searches.
Example
of a database, the "Yellow Pages":
One
common database found in most people's home is the "Yellow
Pages", which helps one find out information about
businesses and services in their community.
Run your mouse over the picture to identify
fields
of controlled vocabulary and the records. |
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Illustration
of database fields and record:
| Fields |
A
Record
|
| CONTROLLED
VOCABULARY FIELD |
Twain,
Mark, 1835-1910 -- Manuscripts -- Facsimiles.
|
| AUTHOR
FIELD |
Twain,
Mark |
| TITLE
FIELD |
The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
| IMPRINT
FIELD |
Frederick,
Md. : University Publications of America.
1982 |
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Illustration
of yellow pages fields and record:
| Fields |
A
Record
|
| CONTROLLED
VOCABULARY FIELD |
Backhoe
Service |
| TITLE
FIELD |
Digger
Dan & Son Inc. |
| ADDRESS
FIELD |
402
S. Main |
| PHONE
NUMBER FIELD |
397-2039 |
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| Natural
Language Searches |
There are, of course, other fields within databases you may search. Most
commonly, we use databases to search for information on a topic.
What is the best way to search databases when you're looking for information
on a topic, such as "the elderly and income", for example?
You can search for information on "the elderly and income" in
a number of ways within any given database. The best way, usually, to begin
your search is by conducting a natural language search (often called
a keyword search). In many databases, this is the default search
strategy you find when you log into the database. In other databases, such
as Griffin, you need to specifically select this method of natural
language or keyword searching. A natural language search does not limit
you to searching only one field, but looks in numerous fields to
pull together the best information for you.
Try
this:
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1.
Go
to Griffin now and conduct a natural language search
(keyword) on the terms "psychology and consumer".
2. Once you receive the results of your search, look at
a few of the records you retrieved.
3. Can you find where the terms "psychology and consumer"
appear in these records?
4. Which fields did your natural language search
look in for those terms?
Answers
1,2,3. no answers
4. title, notes, subjects, other author |
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Yellow Pages examples of controlled vocabulary:
| Controlled
Vocabulary |
Natural
Language
(...or terms you're more likely to think of in everyday speech) |
| Automobile
Repair & Service |
Car
Repair or Auto Mechanics..... |
| Building
Materials |
Construction
Supplies or Building Supplies... |
| Attorneys |
Lawyers |
| Physicians |
Doctors |
Have you ever looked up "movies" in the phone book? Chances are
you were referred to look under the term "theaters". When you
look for information in the phone book, you are forced to use a system of
controlled vocabulary. You cannot necessarily find information under
terms we might normally use.
These examples convey what controlled vocabulary is all about - a means
of controlling or standardizing the many variations in terminology to
provide consistency.
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| Controlled
Vocabulary Searches |
Next
we will consider the role of controlled vocabulary searching.
We saw in the section above that natural language searches look in several
different fields within a database -- perhaps the title field, note field,
controlled vocabulary field, and even others. In contrast, when we
conduct a controlled vocabulary field, we are searching one narrow,
very specific field which contains a very structured language specific
to that database. Most often, we find controlled vocabulary terms rather
stilted or artificial. For that reason, we often start with
natural language searching before moving on to controlled vocabulary searching.
Within a database, controlled vocabulary terms are frequently called
subject headings, subject terms, descriptors, or indexing terms. Most
often, we find controlled vocabulary terms rather stilted or artificial.
Many databases will provide you a list of controlled vocabulary terms in
a thesaurus or index.
Equally important is understanding and using both controlled vocabulary
and natural language in database searching. A typical thesaurus for
a discipline, such as the Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors (such thesauri
of controlled vocabulary are more often than not available for you to browse
in most electronic databases), contains a listing of controlled vocabulary
terms. These are standardized terms used to describe the contents of items
such as books and journal articles in databases. Controlled vocabulary terms
serve to index the contents of books, journal articles and other items in
a predictable,
standardized way. Controlled vocabulary terms are frequently called subject
headings, subject terms, descriptors, or indexing terms. |
Try this: |
1. Look at the record for this book, Who
Will Care for Us?
2. Can you find the controlled vocabulary assigned to
this book?
3. What happens when you click on one of the controlled
vocabulary terms?
Answers:
1) no answer
2) Controlled vocabulary (Library of Congress Subject
Headings)
- Older people -- Long-term care --
United States.
- Minority older people -- Long-term
care -- United States.
- Older people -- United States --
Social conditions.
- Minority older people -- United States
-- Social conditions.
- Pluralism (Social sciences) -- United
States.
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