Search Strategies

Check out the sections below for some tips on searching for information.

Keywords

Keywords are search terms. Creating a keyword list is your best tool for research. Good keywords = good search results. Start developing your keyword list in the presearch stage as you search for background information.

Tips for creating a keyword list

  • Use a keyword graphic organizer to help you develop and keep track of keywords.

  • Do not use full sentences. Start with the nouns in your research questions.

  • Keywords can be a single word or a phrase. When you use a phrase in a database or Google search, put the phrase in quotes (e.g., "dress code").

  • A keyword list changes as you research and learn more about your topic.

"Keywords" by KU Library is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Advanced search with boolean operators

Research databases have an advanced search feature that uses the words AND, OR, and NOT (known as Boolean operators) in combination with keywords to either narrow or expand the search results list. Using 2-4 keywords in combination with boolean operators is a valuable strategy that can save you a lot of time.

  • AND - the articles returned contain each keyword (narrow)

  • OR - the articles returned contain at least one of the keywords (expand)

  • NOT - the articles returned do not contain the keyword after the word NOT (narrow)

Watch the video to see boolean operators in action.

Searching within aN Online Article

When reading an online article, quickly find your keyword within the text of the article by using the browser's "find" function:

  • Select Ctrl+F on the keyboard to open the browser's "find" function.

  • In the "find" window, enter the keyword.

  • If it is found, the first instance of the word is highlighted. Notice the numbers in the "find" window, the second number represents how many times the word is found on the page.

  • Use the up and down arrows in the "find" window to move to each instance of the word on the page.

Bonus: This trick works on any web-based text - not just research database articles.