CICS 290A Class Visit

Keywords are the words that you use when searching online catalogs and library databases. Select your keywords carefully; the more targeted they are, the more efficient your searches will be. 

• Keywords should represent the most important concepts in your topic.
• Try multiple variants or synonyms of your keywords. Sometimes you may have to do several searches to identify keywords related to your topic.
• If you find a good and relevant source for your topic, look for additional keyword synonyms in the title, abstract, and subject headings.

Modified from Choosing and Using Keywords Tutorial, CREDO Instruct

Image from: Tips for Using Keyword Searching Effectively, SNHU Libraries

Are you getting too many results? Narrow your search by:

• Put keyword phrases into quotations, IE: "artificial intelligence"
• Use AND between search terms; Use NOT to eliminate irrelevant terms
• Use fielded searches, IE: search in the title or abstract fields
• Try additional synonyms for your keywords, look at subject headings of relevant results for ideas
• Use filters to narrow down by time frame, format, etc. 
• Try a different, more specialized database
• Review your research question, is it too broad? 

Are you getting too few search results? Broaden your search by: 

• Use OR between search terms
• Nest keyword synonyms together using OR, IE: (iphone OR smartphone OR mobile phone)
• Search Full Text or All Text rather than fields
• Use truncation to find word variants, IE: autis* will return autistic or autism
• Try alternative search terms
• Try a different, more general database
• Review your research question, is it too narrow? 

Image from Introduction to Boolean Operators, Slippery Rock University