Q: How do I find the official subject term a database uses for my topic?

Most databases maintain a thesaurus of subject terms that help make sure articles are described using the same term every time. This helps make sure that articles about the same topic have the same subjects on them, even if the article itself uses a different word. For example, one article might talk about "phones" and another talk about "cell phones," but both articles might have the same subject term of "smartphones" on them. 

Searching through the thesaurus can help you figure out exactly which words your particular database uses to describe your topic. 

EBSCO

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Gale

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ProQuest

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