Before you embark on your database search, take a few moments to identify keywords, which will be a timesaver for you. Some things to try:
- Write down any research questions you have about your topic; these should be open-ended (starting with How...? or Why...?)
- Identify the key concepts from your research question (look at the nouns)
- Write down synonyms for those key concepts
Taking a few minutes to think about and identify some keywords before starting your search will help you search more efficiently, which will save you time (and frustration).
- Identify important concepts from your research question (look for nouns)
- Brainstorm some synonyms (to help you find more information)
- Keep track of useful terms you discover during research and add those to your set of keywords
Ex. research question: How are nutrition programs in California public schools impacting academic performance?
(Identify the keywords in this research question)
How are nutrition programs in California public schools impacting academic performance?
| nutrition programs | California |
public schools |
academic performance |
| healthy eating | Los Angeles |
elementary school |
grades |
| food insecurity | San Diego |
middle school |
student achievement |
| hunger | Oakland | high school | educational outcomes |
Tips on searching the databases
Here are some general tips on searching for articles for your report:
| Tip | Examples |
| Use keywords, not long search phrases |
Instead of searching for "How are nutrition programs in California public schools impacting academic performance?" break down your search into the main keywords: California, nutrition, public school, academic performance |
|
Use quotation marks (" ") to keep phrases together Use AND to combine different keywords |
"food insecurity" AND "public school" |
| Use OR to combine similar/associated keywords | "food insecurity" or hunger |
| Look for ways to limit your search in the database | You can often limit by type of article (scholarly and peer-reviewed), year of publication, subject |