Keywords
Keywords are the building blocks of our searches.
The term "keywords" can also refer the core elements of your project - the important ideas, dates, places, figures, and theories that make up your argument and its context. These elements make excellent places to start with your search terms!
Making a list of search terms and keeping track of which ones you try can be a helpful way to keep track of your research in the beginning stages. Note: this list can also help you recreate your searches if you lose a source. When searching, it's often also helpful to think of the process like focusing an image -- you need to zoom in and out to find clarity. Don't be afraid to come up with related terms that are both more broad and more focused than your initial list.
The video below from Utah State University Library breaks down this process of developing search term keywords from project keywords in more detail and with visual aids.
- VisuwordsVisuwords is a visual dictionary. It can be a helpful tool for visual learners navigating the synonym/related term process of keyword development.
Tips to Optimize Your Results
Limit or Expand Your Search: AND/OR/NOT (aka Boolean Search Operators)
| AND |  |
Use AND to focus search and combine different aspects of your topic. Example: global warming AND agriculture |
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| OR |  |
Use OR to expand your search and find synonyms or related terms. Example: global warming OR greenhouse effect |
| NOT |  |
Use NOT to exclude a word or phrase from your search. Example: hurricanes NOT North Carolina |
| Additional Search Tips |
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Phrase search - Use quotation marks" " to search for a particular phrase. Example: "American sign language culture" holds the words together. Otherwise you risk finding books with sign as a word in the title, published by the American Popular Culture Association. |
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Truncation * - Use an asterisk to find variations of a word. Add an asterisk to the root of the word to find all variations of that word, including singular and plural. Example: sex* finds sex, sexes, sexuality, etc. |
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Grouping/Nesting Keywords - Use parentheses ( ) to group all your search terms together. Example: ("self concept" or "body image") and "cerebral palsy" |
Citation Chaining/Mining/Searching
In addition to searching in JumboSearch and in different databases on your own, another search strategy for finding resources utilizes the information that you gather through that searching. Nearly all scholarly sources, and many other reputable sources of information, will include Works Cited, Reference, or Bibliography pages (some will also include footnotes or endnotes). These are treasure troves of likely relevant resources to your topic. This method of searching, often referred to as citation chaining or citation mining, can also be useful for figuring out the prominent scholars in a particular field. Dissertations and theses can be excellent resources for citation mining because their bibliographies tend to be very thorough.
- Following a Citation Trail - Thompson Rivers University LibraryThis research guide from Thompson Rivers University Library outlines how to follow a citation trail (another way of describing citation mining) in more detail.
- Dissertations & Theses @ TuftsThis database gives access to the dissertations and theses produced by students at Tufts University.
- Dissertations & Theses GlobalThis database is a comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1861 to the present day and offering full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997.
