When you perform a Browse Subjects, the Subject Guide is displayed. The Subject Guide lists all indexed subjects in which the words you searched for occur, as well as any related topics and terms. The Subject Guide, with its hyperlinked terms, is a powerful search tool that lets you easily broaden or narrow your search or take it in a different but related direction simply by selecting terms. Each time you click on a term that displays a number of results, you will be taken to a results list of items.
Entries are displayed in groups and in alphabetical order within each group. The first group shows the entries in which your search word(s) comes first. Next are the entries in which your word(s) comes second, and so on. The Subject Guide also lists whenever possible terms associated with what you entered. For example, if you entered food, the Subject Guide will list terms that contain the word "food" and also any related terms, such as "Grocery Shopping," "Flavorings," "Edible Plants," "Dietary Supplements" and so on.
The Previous and Next arrow icons above the list let you go backward or forward, respectively, one page at a time.
Entries that display a results count to the right (which indicates the number of "hits") are directly linked to results. In this way, you'll know before you select a subject term the number of results to expect on your search results list.
Some Subject Guide entries do not have a direct link to results. Entries without a results count display the preferred term used in the Subject Guide. Click the term and you will go to the screen where the results count shows, along with a Related Subjects link (where applicable). Therefore, even if what you type isn't in the index you'll be shown equivalent entries.
For example, a search for "fish farming" might produce a Subject Guide entry for "Aquaculture." "Aquaculture" is how "fish farming" is actually indexed in the database.
Entries with a plus sign icon can be expanded. This is how the Subject Guide takes a broad or complex subject and breaks it into subheadings. You can filter the display to view only Topics, Locations, or Dates (use the Display drop-down menu to make a selection; choices are dynamic and may not always be available in every case). Expanding a topic via the plus sign icon helps you focus your search and lets you see a manageable set of results for a subject that might lead to hundreds or even thousands of references. Subheadings let you concentrate on those aspects of a subject that are most meaningful to you.
For example, the main subject "Public Schools" may have dozens of subheadings, such as "Analysis," "Curricula," "Management," and "Statistics." Click a hyperlinked subject to see results associated with that subheading.
Related subjects are just what they sound like: subjects that aren't directly about what you searched for but are related in some way. Clicking a Related subjects link will take you to a new page of the Subject Guide and display terms arranged alphabetically. You may filter the display to view only Broader, Narrower, or Related terms (use the Display drop-down menu to make a selection; choices are dynamic and may not always be available in every case).
Related subjects lead to additional documents that might be of interest. For example, under the subject "Metalworking," you might find related subjects such as "Manufacturing" (a broader subject term), "Forging" (a narrower term), and "Metallurgy" (a related term).
Again, whenever an entry displays a results count, clicking the term will take you to a results list.