Choosing Keywords
Typing a full research question into the search boxes will typically pull up little to no results. That’s why choosing keywords are so important.
Keywords may seem simple, but they can be tricky. Start by asking yourself, “What are the main points or ideas of my topic?” This will help you pull out words or short phrases that work well in our databases.
For example, if your topic is "What effect does technology use have on a child’s development?" your keywords could be technology use and child development.
Other keywords tips
- You can use an AI tool to help you come up with possible keywords to use in your search. See our Using AI for Research Writing guide for tips on using AI in your research [coming soon].
- Rather than using words like “effect”, “benefit” or “causes” as keywords, try brainstorming specific effects or benefits to use as keywords. See our Choosing Keywords guide for more.
- Use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT. Check out our Boolean Operators guide for more information.
- If you find an article that looks somewhat relevant to your research, read through the abstract and subjects to discover new keywords.
Narrowing Results
Sometimes a search can pull up 100,000+ results, which would be impossible to browse through. Use the filters, located on the left of the results page, to help narrow your results.
Filters: Peer review, Full text, Source type, Publication date
- Full Text – Shows only resources that we subscribe to, allowing full-text access to the article.
- Peer Review – Peer reviewed sources have been vetted for quality. See our Finding Peer Reviewed Articles guide for more about peer review.
- Source Type – Allows you to filter specific publication types, such as only magazines or trade journals. See our Variety of Sources guide to learn more about source types.
- Publication Date – Depending on your topic, you'll likely want to filter to the last 5 or 10 years to make sure you’re getting the most current information. Be sure to click the Update button after adjusting the date slider.
See our Narrowing or Broadening your Search guide for more search tips. If you need more help, just ask!
