Biology 160 - B. Brady

This page provides resources and information on how to generate keywords/search terms.

Keywords (or Search terms) are the words/terms you type into a search engine to generate results that may or may not serve your information need/want.

• For example, if I want to find an ice cream shop in Oak Harbor (my information need), the keywords I might use would be “Ice cream” AND “Oak Harbor”

For academic research, the best way to generate keywords is to break down the topic into its basic concepts:

• Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

You can also pull the basic concepts out of your question/topic:

• For example: How does our human gut biome affect our mental health?
  • “gut biome,” “human,” AND “mental health” would be the keywords here.

1. Keywords/Search terms are important! What you put in makes a difference in what you get out. Keep a list of the good ones and add to it as you go!
2. Combining Terms with AND/OR is a way to REFINE your search, to make it more specific
3. Use truncation "quotes" for phrases

4. Concept/Keyword #1	AND	Concept/Keyword #2	AND	Concept/Keyword #3
   AI OR Artificial Intelligence" Wetlands	AND AND	Regulat* OR Control "Pacific Northwest"	AND AND	America OR United States "Fish declines"

5. Your search will start to look something like:  AI OR "artificial intelligence" AND regult* (AND USA OR "United States")

   • But be flexible and ready to change it up as you go! Keep a list of the good ones and add to it.