Make a list of keywords relevant to your topic. Be sure to list similar, broader, narrower, and related terms. Keep the list by your side when you start your research and continue to add to it as you come across useful terms.
Before searching for information, you need to identify keywords related to your topic. The keywords you use have an impact on the results of your research.
If the keywords you choose do not give you the results you need, try the others on your list or use the search strategies listed under Step 2.
Keywords and phrases can easily be found by scanning . . .
If you are still struggling, try these suggestions:
When researching, we are like detectives trying to combine the right terms in the right place to find the information we need. This information will help you combine search terms to find relevant sources.
Broad Search
Search for information using the single most important term related to your topic. Use this type of search when looking for basic background information.
Specific Search
Search for information by combining key concepts using the words you have brainstormed. Each concept/word should be separated by the word "AND". Use this kind of search when looking for specific evidence related to your claim or thesis.
For more information on boolean operators, please view the video in the next section.
Getting Too Many Irrelevant Results?
Add more search terms.
Getting Too Few Relevant Results?
Change or remove some search terms.
Video Summary
Boolean operators – the words “AND, OR, and NOT” – are tools you can use to narrow or broaden your search results when searching for articles in library databases.
The word AND links search terms to make your database search more specific, with fewer results. If you combine your search terms with the Boolean operator AND, you are telling the database to display articles with all your search terms, not just one or the other.
The Boolean operator OR allows you to search for a concept using synonyms. Using the word OR broadens your search and delivers more results, because you are directing the database to return results with either of your search terms.
Use the Boolean operator NOT to eliminate specific words or terms from your results. The word NOT limits your search, and delivers fewer results from your database search.
This video is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States license.
A concept map is a graphical tool used to organize and structure knowledge.
You can create your own concept map but using one of the following sites:
You can also use one of the worksheets or examples below:
Video Summary
How do we start our research for a term paper? One way is to map out our ideas and identify some of our key concepts to develop our research question. We can then develop our research statement and come up with key terms to use for finding books and researching in article indexes.