Boolean operator: the words AND, OR, and NOT, used between keywords or subject headings to narrow, broaden, or exclude certain results
keyword: a word (or words) that describes the focus or central concept of content or a research question
controlled vocabulary: a curated list of words or phrases used to tag materials in a database to improve searchability and reduce ambiguity. The opposite of natural language
deep web: the parts of the Internet that a search engine does not/cannot catalogue, such as paid databases
facet: a tag applied to information that describes part of its form, allowing it to be searched on multiple levels. More commonly known as a filter
journal: a scholarly periodical publication with articles by experts (such as researchers and professors). There are journals across multiple disciplines (such as science, mathematics, and psychology). Trade or industry journals are journals that are published in specific trades/industries or to specific jobs (such as pilots, engineers, or chefs)
natural language: the use of natural speech patterns to search (ex. asking a question). The opposite of controlled vocabulary
periodical: periodicals are publications that are published periodically (regular intervals). These include journals, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, etc. Periodicals can have varying publishing times (weekly, bimonthly, quarterly, during specific months, etc.)
search string: a combination of words, numbers, and sometimes symbols that is entered into a search bar to find specific kinds of information. Search strings can be as simple as entering a question into Google ("who won the 1998 World Series") or as complicated as entering a query into an academic database ("dogs AND cats NOT terriers NOT tabbies")
subject headings: a catch-all term for a controlled vocabulary of records. They provide a singular term to cover multiple similar or synonymous instances of a word. Most commonly used to refer to the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)