Subject headings
You will often come across subject headings in library catalogues and databases. These describe the content of a document and are allocated by professionals in a field. The advantages of searching using subject headings are:
- you will find all publications on a specific subject, there is no need to search using all the word variations or synonyms
- you can be sure that a publication really covers a specific subject
If you search in the HvA catalogue using the term probleemwijken (problem neighbourhoods), you will find fewer publications than when using the subject heading achterstandswijken(disadvantaged neighbourhoods). Publications covering the subject but in which the term probleemwijken does not literally occur will not be found.
In the relevant bibliographical entry below, the subject term achterstandswijken is listed. Click this or search using the subject heading achterstandswijken to find more relevant publications.
Many catalogues offer a list of subject headings or an index in which you can find all the subject headings used. Some databases offer thesauri. These show the interrelationship between subject headings.
