Keywords

A Keyword is the FSTA Direct term for a descriptor, the word or phrase used to index the records in the FSTA database.

Keywords can be a single word or a group of words, e.g. 'milk', 'milk powders', 'milk protein concentrates', 'milk fat globule membranes'. Keywords are routinely used in the plural form, e.g. ‘Apples’ is a Keyword but ‘Apple’ is not.

Every record in the FSTA database is assigned suitable Keywords. Because Keywords are used to index records, searching using them helps to ensure that your search produces a set of records that are highly relevant to your needs.

To check if the term you wish to search on is a Keyword, use the Keyword selector to look it up and add it to your search.

As you explore the Keyword Selector, you will discover that Keywords are arranged in hierarchies of broader, narrower, and related terms, which are also themselves Keywords and can therefore be used to expand or refine searches.

Example

The Keyword ORANGES has:

Narrower terms MANDARINS and ORANGE PEEL
A broader term CITRUS FRUITS
Related terms ORANGE ESSENTIAL OILS and ORANGE JUICES

This collection of Keywords is known as the FSTA Thesaurus.

Two types of search can be done with Keywords - exploded and regular.

Exploded Keyword searches are specified using the KE field in Advanced search and the search results include records indexed with the selected Keyword and all its narrower terms. Searches prepared using Guided Search's Keyword Selector also use Exploded Keywords.

Regular Keyword searches are specified using the KW field in Advanced search, and the search results include records specified with the selected Keyword only.

Other information available

Many Keywords have further information available, including a Dictionary definition, Scope Notes, History Notes and Synonyms.

Scope notes
These give further advice on the meaning of a term or its particular use in the context of FSTA. They are also used to indicate Enzyme Commission (EC) numbers for enzymes and to list synonyms.

History notes
These indicate the history of use of a term in the indexing of FSTA records.

Synonyms
Sometimes more than one term is available as a potential Keyword – for example CORN and MAIZE are synonyms.

In FSTA, indexing is restricted to the use of one preferred term, which is indicated in the Keyword Selector by the use of a USE link from the non-preferred term to the preferred one. It is not possible to add non-preferred terms to your search from the Keyword Selector. Confirmation of a preferred term is indicated by the presence of a USE FOR statement at the end of the list of broader, narrower, and related terms.

See also