Thinking Tool: Choosing a Topic and Key Word / Search Terms
1. What is your assignment?
2. What do you want to write about?
3. Key Words and Terms
-Write down anything related to your main idea. Anything! Everything!
- Synonyms? Scientific Names? Related Topics? Organizations? Places? Dates?
4. Your Search Terms
- 2-4 keywords from 3. above.
- Remember: Add or subtract keywords to get different results. Pick different ones! Start with a new main idea!
Search Tips
Not sure how to begin searching your topic (what terms to use)?
Enter some words in the search boxes and then use the way the database categorizes the results--and the results themselves--to give yourself ideas: expanding, narrowing, or reformulating your search terms.
For example:
- When you start searching in a database, you may not know what the controlled vocabulary is for that topic in that database.
The best way to proceed is to start with a keyword search (the default option in databases), using Boolean logic (link) and truncation (link) to combine your terms.
Then, use the limits and controlled vocabulary (subject terms or descriptors) the database provides. Depending on the database, these might be displayed in a sidebar on the left or right of the list of results.
Limits include:
- Limit to Scholarly/Peer Reviewed
- Other publication types and formats
- Items that are full text in the database you are searching
Narrow your current search or start a new search using the subject terms. Doing so will help increase the relevancy of the articles retrieved.
