About Topic Search

Topics in Logos

Logos uses a dataset to try and make topical search more powerful, thorough, and consistent. The Logos Controlled Vocabulary (LCV) embraces a defined set of concepts, the keywords that can be used to describe them, and links to the dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other subject-oriented resources that organize content this way (many resources don’t).

How do I search for Topics?

1. Use the Topic Guide which will search the LCV for concepts similar to what you have typed and allow you to select one from a drop down list. It will show:
   • links to resource articles that address this concept
   • links to related concepts e.g. links to “eternity” and “salvation” for your concept of “eternal life”.
   • an expanded query you can use to Search more broadly for this concept
   • related information in sections such as Related Verses, Sermons and Illustrations.
2. When you do a Factbook lookup of a topic, you’ll see a section called Dictionaries which presents the same resources as the Topic section of Topic Guide.
3. In Logos 9 when you do a Basic Search of Everything and the search term matches a concept in the LCV, you’ll see a section called Topic which presents results similar to Topic Guide.
4. In Logos 10+ when you do a Books Search and the search term suugests a topic, select that and perform a milestone query e.g. milestone:topic:Void. Again, the results are similar to Topic guide.
5. In a Passage Guide, the Topics section lists concepts for dictionary articles that discuss the passage. The concepts are ranked by the strength of association between the passage and the concept.

What Resources are integrated into the LCV?

• Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
• The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land
• Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
• Easton’s Bible Dictionary
• Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible
• Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
• Harper’s Bible Dictionary
• International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
• New Bible Dictionary
• New Nave’s Topical Bible
• Tyndale Bible Dictionary
• The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary
• The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia

and many more...

Functions often associated with Topic Searching

• Searching for words in Heading Text or Large Text offers some of the benefits of a topic search (the LCV allows for differences in the name of a topic) e.g. heading/largetext:Void.
• Power Lookup, launched from the right-click menu on an English word, shows dictionary definitions for that word.
• From a subject-oriented resource like an encyclopedia, the New Tab button opens a list of similar books, and the right section lists parallel books with articles whose headings match the current heading. Power Lookup on the headword of an article functions approximately the same way.

Forum References

• Additional comments on topic searching (Sean Boisen, Senior Information Architect)
• Heading-specific searching (Sean Boisen, Senior Information Architect)