Using Subject Headings for Online Retrieval is an indispensable tool for online system designers who are developing new systems or refining existing ones. The book describes subject analysis and subject searching in online catalogs, including the limitations of retrieval, and demonstrates how such limitations can be overcome through system design and programming. The book describes the Library of Congress Subject Headings system and system characteristics, shows how information is stored in machine-readable files, and offers examples of and recommendations for successful retrieval methods. Tables are included to support these recommendations, and diagrams, graphs, and bar charts are used to provide results of data analysis. Practitioners in institutions using or considering the installation of an online catalog will refer to this book often to generate specifications. Researchers in library systems, information retrieval, and user behavior will appreciate the book's detailing of the results of an extensive, empirical study of the subject terms entered into online systems by end users. Using Subject Headings for Online Retrieval also addresses the needs of advanced students in library schools and instructors in library automation, information retrieval, cataloging, indexing, and user behavior.