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Keyword searching is a way to perform a broad search that finds lots of results.
A keyword search lets you identify key terms related to your topic and search for those
terms in any part of the item record such as the title, author, subject terms, summaries,
content notes and abstracts. Since a keyword search finds words anywhere, it's a very broad
kind of search and will bring back lots of results, not all of which will be directly
related to your research. This makes a keyword search a good choice for when you're just
starting to look for sources or when you haven't found enough sources and you want to cast
as wide a net as possible.
To determine what your keywords should be, start by stating your research topic in the
form of a question. Then, try to identify the key terms, or "keywords" in your question.
Next, brainstorm synonyms for your key terms—in other words, think of words that mean the
same thing as the words you've chosen. It can take some trial and error to figure out
what the most commonly used words are to describe your topic. Finally, you will search for your
keywords in the library catalog or in one of our library databases, such as Academic
Search Premier. You can link your keywords in a variety of ways to make your search either
broader or narrower. The special words you'll use to link your keywords are called "Boolean
Operators."
The Boolean Operator "AND" makes your search narrower. Performing a search with two words
linked by "AND" ensures that you will only get results in which BOTH of those keywords
are present. You will NOT find articles in which only one of your keywords is present.
The Boolean Operator "OR" makes your search broader. Performing a search with two words
linked by "OR" ensures that you will retrieve results that have either keyword present.
When you search using "OR," you WILL find articles in which only one of your keywords
is present.
The Boolean Operator "NOT" excludes words or phrases in your search. Placing "NOT" before
a word ensures that your results will exclude any articles containing that word. This is
a good strategy to use when you have narrowed your search, and you want to avoid finding
articles that are close to your topic but not an exact match.
Have any questions? Please contact a TCC librarian at a location near you.