Using the Thesaurus

The database Thesaurus comprises two main sections: the List of Permuted Terms and the Term Details. The List of Permuted Terms is an alphabetical list of all the controlled vocabulary terms, called descriptors, used to index records in the database.

The Term Details for a Thesaurus term may contain Narrower terms, Related terms, Broader terms, Scope notes, and Used For notes. Search for narrower terms to make your search more precise; to expand your search, consider descriptors listed as Broader terms or Related terms.

The Explode function on the Term Details screen will search for the main descriptor and all its narrower descriptors. To narrow your search, use the most specific descriptor for the concept.