BME 333T - Engineering Communication

Consider your topic and list important and related terms and synonyms to use as keywords when searching the library's databases. 

Think of the scientific or technical term for common or controversial words, for example:

• hydraulic fracturing | fracking
• unmanned aircraft | drones 
• vehicles or automobiles | cars

A good place to look for related terms is in the article record within the library databases, for example:

• under the Subject Terms field in Academic Search Complete  
• under Keywords in IEEE Xplore

Try to avoid generic words like pros and cons or advantages and disadvantages.  While these terms may work in Google, they are typically not helpful when using our library databases.  

• ​If you need articles related to GMOs and their benefit to society consider using terms like “agricultural productivity” or hunger (as in the reduction of hunger)
• If you are lacking information on the harmful aspects, try adding terms like ​“health risks" or environmental

Spell out acronyms, especially if they have common alternative meanings

• Search "near field communications" rather than NFC (e.g. National Football Conference; National Finance Center)
• NOTE: Some acronyms are very established in the literature (e.g. RFID is more commonly used than radio frequency identification)
• When in doubt, search using both terms

Add additional terms to refine your results

• e.g. fracking AND wastewater

Example Search