Which term refers to the set of words describing a topic that helps in catalog searches?

Which term refers to the set of words describing a topic that helps in catalog searches?

• A. Keywords
• B. Abstract
• C. Citation
• D. OPALS

Answer: (A)

Keywords are the words or short phrases that describe the main topics of a work and help a catalog connect a user’s search query to relevant records. In cataloging, metadata uses these terms to tag materials so when you look up a topic, the system can match your keywords with the descriptors stored for each item. An abstract is a brief summary of the content, not the label used for indexing searches. A citation is a reference to a source, not a topic descriptor. OPALS is the library system itself, not a set of terms describing a topic. Because keywords directly label the subject matter and enable efficient discovery, they are the best choice for guiding catalog searches.

Keywords are the words or short phrases that describe the main topics of a work and help a catalog connect a user’s search query to relevant records. In cataloging, metadata uses these terms to tag materials so when you look up a topic, the system can match your keywords with the descriptors stored for each item. An abstract is a brief summary of the content, not the label used for indexing searches. A citation is a reference to a source, not a topic descriptor. OPALS is the library system itself, not a set of terms describing a topic. Because keywords directly label the subject matter and enable efficient discovery, they are the best choice for guiding catalog searches.