6.6 – Search Terms

Introduction

Once you’ve thought about your topic, and possibly talked with an expert (such as the Library’s Research Help team), it is time to move on to identify words you will used to search for information on your topic in various databases and search engines. This is sometimes referred to as building a search query. When deciding what terms to use in a search, break down your topic into its main concepts. Don’t enter an entire sentence, or a full question. Different databases and search engines process such queries in different ways, but many look for the entire phrase you enter as a complete unit, rather than the component words. While some will focus on just the important words, the results are often still unsatisfactory. The best thing to do is to use the key concepts involved with your topic. In addition, think of synonyms or related terms for each concept. If you do this, you will have more flexibility when searching in case your first search term doesn’t produce any or enough results. Even in a search engine like Google, having terms you can combine thoughtfully will yield better results.

Watch Generating search terms – Introduction on YouTube (1 min)

The following image is an example of a process you can use to come up with search terms. It illustrates how you might think about the topic of violence in high schools. Notice that this exact phrase is not what will be used for the search. Rather, it is a starting point for identifying the terms that will eventually be used.

Now, use a clean copy of the same worksheet to think about your own topic. How might you divide the topic into concepts and then search terms? Jot down your ideas before you begin to search.

How Effective Search Terms Help

Watch Generating search terms – How can this help me? on YouTube (1 min)

The Research Process

Watch Generating search terms – The searching process on YouTube (1 min)

Identify Main Ideas

Watch Generating search terms – Identify main ideas on YouTube (1 min)

Brainstorming Search Words

Watch Generating search terms – Brainstorming on YouTube (1 min)

Synonyms and Related Words

Watch Generating search terms – Summary of related ideas on YouTube (1 min)

Attribution & References

This chapter (text, H5P activities and embedded videos) was adapted from:

• “Plan: Developing Research Strategies” In The Information Literacy User’s Guide: An Open, Online Textbook by Deborah Bernnard, Greg Bobish, Jenna Hecker, Irina Holden, Allison Hosier, Trudi Jacobson, Tor Loney, and Daryl Bullis. Editors: Greg Bobish and Trudi Jacobson, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. / Some text extracted from this source and mixed with the following to provide both written and video/interactive content.
• “Generating Search Terms” In Niagara College Libraries + Learning Commons Information Skills Online Handbook by Jackie Chambers Page and Siscoe Boschman, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Adaptations include updates for improved accessibility. Attributions noted for this chapter’s videos were noted in a final video, which have been transcribed into text below for consistency and “Credits” video removed.

References & Credits used in videos on this page.

• • Horse rider photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/544ZtqLDJ98
  • Wrench photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash. Available at https://unplash.com/photos/lt2GzPIOAmc
  • Transcription by The drawing is signed, ‘Electrical World, N.Y.’ [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Transcription_using_cylinder_photograph.png
  • The difference between a hurricane a cyclone and a typhoon, by allispossible.org.uk. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commerical 2.0 Generic license (CCB-NC 2.0). Cropped from original. Available at https://flic.kr/p/hvoJdg
  • More questions than answers, by Tom Waterhouse. Used under a Creative commons Attribution Non-Commerical 2.0 Generic license (CC by-NC 2.0). Available at https://flic.kr/p/b6WaSP