Typing teenage will pick up only teenage , not teenager or teenagers . The most common mistake in using truncation is shortening the stem too much. Supply a truncation symbol at each appropriate point in the following terms, using the SilverPlatter symbol. A descriptor is added to a record by an indexer to describe the subject matter of the article. The following citation is from PsycINFO .
Descriptors come from standardized lists of subject headings contained in lists called thesauri.
If the database you are searching contains a thesaurus, it is helpful to use it for more precise searching. A thesaurus contains suggestions for Related Terms, Broader Terms or Narrower Terms. Sometimes it will also contain a Scope Note which gives you a definition of a particular term as it is used in the database. Using the subject of eating disorders in college students , use The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms to select descriptors for the concepts of eating disorders and college students . However, because the phrase eating disorders might appear in the title or abstract, include it among your search terms.