Generating Search Terms
Once you have a topic, the next step is to pull out the key words or phrases. This is important! While Google makes it easy to search for the answer to your full research question, many library databases do not work that way. Instead, you need to search using only the most important words or ideas.
Let's look at our previous example:
How have hip hop music videos influenced dance moves in other music genres?
Some possible keywords would be: hip hop, music videos, & dance.
Generating Search Terms from OSLIS.
Generating Keywords Exercise
Create a research paper topic using the University of Texas at Austin's interactive exercise.
Effective Search Strategies
Generating strong keywords is just the first step. Now it’s time to put those terms to work and refine your search strategies to find the best sources.
Pro Tip!
Finding the best keywords to build a great search can take time and trial and error. Don't be discouraged if you try several different terms and still aren't locating the information you need! Even experienced librarians regularly try multiple searches before landing on one that works well. Don't give up! If you would like some assistance, don't forget that MTC librarians are happy to help.