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Libraries Indiana University Bloomington

SGIS S150 Seminar

Research guide for freshman direct admit students to the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies

Identifying Keywords

A KEYWORD expresses a central concept or idea about a topic. When you are using Google, you are keyword searching.
**NOTE: When searching using library resources (databases, IUCAT, etc), you may need to be more selective with keywords.

IDENTIFYING KEYWORDS

  • Identify the major concepts of your topic and think of keywords related to those concepts
  • Think of synonyms and related words for your keywords - sometimes databases can be picky
  • Consider what words the database will best understand

For a project on the environmental consequences of fracking, keywords may include:

Concept 1: Fracking Fracking, Hydraulic fracking, Natural gas drilling.

Concept 2: Environmental consequences: Environment, Pollution, Global warming, Climate change, Earthquakes.

Tips for Effective Keywords

Be Concise

Begin with only 2-3 terms and avoid long phrases.
Synonyms

If your first term doesn't work, try a synonym or a broader term. 
For example currently the term "First Nations" is used to identify the indigenous people of the Americas.
However, many databases or earlier writings may use "Aboriginal", "Native Americans", or "American Indians".  
Similarly, you may find historical information about Iran by also searching for "Persia".
Database Search Results

Do a quick database search and see what relevant terms appear in your search results. 
Look in the titles, abstracts, and lists of subject terms provided on most databases. 
Subject terms are the words/phrases databases use to organize the resources they hold.
Background Research

Do some background research to learn terms and vocabulary often used when discussing that topic. 
Background research doesn't have to be scholarly - do a Google search to educate yourself to improve your keywords.