Keyword Searching: Home

Keyword searching impacts the quality and relevance of your search results. In the long run, it saves you time and leads you to more accurate information for your project. 

Start with the main ideas or concepts for your topic. For each important word/phrase, come up with similar or related terms such as: 

• Synonyms (different word, same meaning) 
• Narrower terms (more specific) 
• Broader terms (less specific) 
• Everyday language (words the average person would use to describe something) 
• Formal or academic language (words that experts in a subject/discipline would use to describe something) 

• Add "quotation marks" around phrases. This tells the database or search engine to treat the phrase as one term rather than searching each word individually. Remember that the search will be for these exact words in this exact order.
• Use an asterisk* to truncate words so that the database or search engine with look for multiple forms of a word simultaneously. (Ex. Maya, Mayans, Mayan, Mayas). 
• If available use the Advanced Search option in the database. This provides you with options to include items you want and exclude things you don't want.
• Set up a Boolean search (if Advanced Search is not available). Use words like "AND," "NOT," or "OR" to structure your search.