Key Terms are the words you use to conduct your searches in databases, catalogs, indexes, Google, etc.
Students and researchers may sometimes feel lost if they are unable to find what they need in their search. The best way to remedy this is to create a list of various key terms related to your topic. This allows you to:
Search synonyms or similar phrases that others may use to describe your topic
Find more specific information
Find resources that contain a broader discussion that includes your topic
You may also find varying perspectives
The words we use to describe a topic often change over time or based on context. For instance, we didn't use the term "World War I" until World War II began. Or when discussing voter rights, some researchers or advocates use terms like "disenfranchisement."
Carefully considered Key Terms make a huge difference in the success of your research.
Boolean Operators (below) help you to make more effective searches on the SHS databases.
Examples.
| cats AND dogs | cats OR dogs | cats NOT dogs |
| Would only include results that have both the word "cat" and the word "dog" | Would include results that have the word "cat" but also any results that include the word "dog" | Would include results that have the word "cats" but exclude any that have the word "dog" |
