Introduction to Library Research

What are Keywords?

Words or short phrases(2-3 words) that show the main idea(s) of your research question.

Do not enter your whole research question when searching!

Finding the "Right" Keywords:

Keywords can change and grow as you start researching. Even if the Keywords aren't exactly what you want at the beginning, starting your research with what you have provided an opportunity to find keywords that are better for you. 

Tips for getting Keywords from your Research Question:

• It might take a few tries.
• Use important concepts and ideas.
• Avoid adding “The”, “A”, “At”, or “Of.”
• Try synonyms or related words.

Great Job! Keep working on Keyword Practice!

If you do not get the results you want in a keyword search, take another look and see if there may be more than one word that someone might use.

Use a thesaurus if you are having trouble thinking of synonyms!

Ex: "College Students"

• "Undergraduates"
• "University Students"
• "Young Adults"

On the next page "Searching the Databases" we will go over how to put synonyms together so you can find all the good results in one search.