Organizational Leadership
Keyword Search Tips
What is Keyword Searching?
Use a keyword search to search all parts of a source for the words you enter in the search box. This type of searching uses "natural language" and is one you're probably already familiar with--you simply enter words or phrases into a search box that you think are relevant to your topic.
When doing a keyword search it's a good idea to try a number of different search terms and phrases. Don't be discouraged if your initial keyword search brings back too many, too few, or irrelevant results--you'll want to try multiple keywords, synonyms for your keywords, different combinations of keywords, etc. to bring back the best results.
For example, if you are looking for information about the dangers of texting and driving you may start out with keywords like: texting, driving, distracted driving, danger, cellphones, etc.
But you'll also want to try using synonyms for keywords (e.g. cellphones = mobile phones, smartphones, iPhone, etc.) and combining keywords (e.g. texting and driving, distracted driving and danger, etc.) to get better, more thorough results.
When should I use a keyword search?
Most Useful For:
- Finding resources using "natural language" that describes your topic
- Very flexible--can easily be combined with other searching techniques
Cautions:
- May bring back too many, too few, or irrelevant results if keywords are not carefully selected
- Users should try multiple keywords, combinations of keywords, etc. to bring back the best results
Researching with Keywords
The following video provides a brief tutorial on generating and using keywords when searching in library databases.