For many years, searching medical and health-related topics has caused thousands of searchers to consult the well-known MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) controlled vocabulary. This plan works well for searching MEDLINE, but what about MEDLARS databases such as TOXLIT, BIOETHICSLINE, and POPLINE? Several printed vocabularies are available for searchers who wish to benefit from the consistency afforded by consulting established term lists. Occasionally, use of Keywords from vocabularies other than MeSH is recommended even when information in the database is also indexed to MeSH. Search techniques available for use with several of the controlled vocabularies mentioned in this article vary, but built-in consistency of term use is a continuing theme from one controlled vocabulary to another.