Advantages of Controlled Vocabulary over Keywords

• Keywords
  • Provides access to terms actually used by the author

• Controlled vocabulary
  • Does not require the user to think of every possible synonym for a concept
  • Allows searching of works in different languages
  • Provides proper context for keywords with multiple meanings

• Keyword searching can be a good place for a user to start and identify some relevant works

• Controlled vocabulary in the records will allow the user to identify many more works on this subject, that may use other terminology or be written in other languages