Using The ERIC Thesaurus

General Information

ERIC has a "controlled vocabulary" of education-related terms called Descriptors that are maintained in the ERIC Thesaurus. Descriptors are used to organize database materials by subject. Using Descriptors in your search can help you locate materials of greater relevance to your topic.

Note: Descriptors are not the same as keywords. Keywords match words found in a bibliographic record and may or may not fully represent the subject of an article or document. Descriptors, also known as indexing terms or subject headings, help you locate subject-related materials that may not contain the keyword in the indexed record.

Benefits of Using the ERIC Thesaurus:

• Identify appropriate terms for conducting systematic searches.
• Save time by reducing guesswork and trial-and-error methods.
• Retrieve relevant material.

Planning a Search for ERIC Descriptors

1. Describe the topic in your own words.
2. Divide the topic into major concepts
3. Use the Thesaurus to locate the appropriate Descriptors for each concept of the topic.