Subject terms (also referred to as subject headings) are official terms assigned to literary works that describe subjects, ideas, or attributes of the work. "Life writing" is an accepted term in many online databases, but it is not an official subject term per the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). So it's important to also include some of the following related terminology (as relevant) when searching in library catalogs and databases:
Other subject terms you might add include descriptions of the format of the work, cultural context, or general subject matter. For example:
The following search syntax will allow you to focus or broaden your search in virtually any search environment:
Enclose single concepts that contain multiple words in quotation marks. For example:
Type an asterisk (*) at the end of a word root to search all variations on the root. For example:
A search for partner* will yield results with partners, partnership, partnerships, partnering, etc.
Use to connect independent concepts that are essential to your search. For example:
autobiography AND music AND "graphic novel"
Use to connect synonyms and related terms to broaden your search. For example:
autobiography OR memoir OR "life writing"
Use to exclude all resources from your search results that mention a specific term. For example:
The search music NOT bluegrass will exclude any work that mentions the word "bluegrass" from your results.
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