Library of Congress Subject Headings
Look up your concepts in the Library of Congress Subject Headings Books (the 4 big red books found on the index table in the Reference Area) to determine the correct subject headings to use for each of the concepts in your search statement (see keywords worksheet). For example, consider the research question “Does playing video games make children more violent?" Pull out the main concepts and then look each concept up in the Library of Congress Subject Heading Books to determine the correct terminology for your topic. These books will also help you in brainstorming broader and narrower terms for your concepts.
If you look up the first concept, Video Games, in the LCSH books you might find:
Video games (May Subd Geog) [GV 1469.3] UF BT Television games Electronic games Electronic toys Games Television Breath of Fire (Game) Donkey Kong (Game) Nintendo Sega Street Fighter Tekken
NT
-- Equipment and Supplies -- Law and Legislation
Video Games and Children UF BT Children and video games Children
Jane McKenna, Laney College, 2004
If you were to look up your second concept, Violence, you might find:
Violence [HM281 -HM283] [RC569.5 V55] BT Aggressiveness (Psychology) Social Psychology Children and violence Dating violence Family violence Fighting (Psychology) Political violence Prison violence Road rage School violence Violent deaths
NT
-- Folklore UF Violence (in religion, folklore, etc.)
-- Forecasting UF Violence - prediction
-- Prediction UF Violence - forecasting
Violence in children BT Aggressiveness (Psychology in Children) Child Psychopathology Children and violence
RT
Jane McKenna, Laney College, 2004
If you were to look up your third concept, Children, you might find:
Children [HQ767.8 - HQ792.2] UF BT Childhood Age groups Family Abused children Adopted children Adult children Advertising and children Arts and children Boys Child development Comic books and children Computers and children Exercise for children Girls Internet and children Mass media and children Overweight children Preschool children Preteens Problem children School children Television and children Video games and children
NT
-- Abuse of USE Child abuse -- Development USE Child development -- Mental Disorders USE Child Psychiatry Child Psychopathology Child mental health
Jane McKenna, Laney College, 2004
Guide to Abbreviatons Used in the Library of Congress Subject Headings books:
UF = Used For (these terms are not used) BT = Broader Topic (broader subject headings) RT = Related Topic (subject heading related to this term) NT = Narrower Topic (more specific subject heading)
Jane McKenna, Laney College, 2004