A keyword is a descriptive term attached to an asset so a search can find it. It is not the same as a controlled vocabulary: a keyword is a single tag, while a controlled vocabulary is the governed list those tags should come from.
Why it matters
Keywords are how most users actually find assets, since the search bar is the first thing they reach for. Applied consistently, keywords make a library searchable; applied freely, they fragment it.
How it shows up in practice
A photo of a quarterback might carry keywords for the player, the team, the action, and the event. The trouble starts when one person tags Pass and another Throw, so a good program draws keywords from a controlled vocabulary and sets a sensible range, often three to five per asset.
Common mistakes
- Free-typing keywords with no governing vocabulary, so synonyms hide assets.
- Over-tagging, which makes searches return everything.
- Duplicating in keywords what another metadata field already captures.
Stacks covers this in unlocking the power of metadata keywords.