Known Item Search: Theoretical and Practical Considerations

Abstract

This article looks at the concept “known item search” (KIS) and considers it in relation to library
practices. The author critically examines previous research on KIS and argues that the concept is
important because it is categorically different from “subject search” and because it is assumed in
processes such as bibliographic verification and descriptive cataloging. The article further discusses
which kinds of metadata best serve KIS and argues that the traditional distinction between descriptive
cataloging and subject cataloging is a fruitful point of departure for describing the metadata needed
for respectively KIS and subject searches.