The following illustrates the kinds of words and phrases that are indexed as subjects:
| Subject Field | Examples | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Subject headings | food women skaters political parties |
If the singular form doesn't work, try a plural |
| People | Serena Williams Vicente Fox Madonna |
|
| Companies | Boeing General Motors |
Leave off "Corp.," "Inc." etc. for more matches |
| Geographic locations | Peoria, Illinois Nairobi, Kenya |
For an exact match, use city, state (not abbreviated) or city, country |
| Events | Chernobyl nuclear accident 1986 Olympics |
Recurring events, such as "Olympics," are subdivided by year |
| Organizations | Amnesty International Environmental Defense Fund Department of Homeland Security |
|
| Statutes | Hatch Act of 1939 Tax Reform Act of 1986 |
You don't have to enter every word of a subject heading to get a match. Enter Chernobyl, and "Chernobyl nuclear accident" will be near the top of the list. Reform will find "Tax Reform Act of 1986," although any entries that begin with "Reform" will be first on the list.