Sometimes, you find exactly what you need with your first search. But it often doesn't work out that way! Try this step-by-step brainstorm before you search the library catalog or databases.
1. Save time, prepare to research!
- Break your research question into key concepts (you'll connect these in your paper to make an original argument)
- For each of these concepts, brainstorm multiple keywords
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Sample Topic:
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Translation of The Letters of Abelard and Heloise over time
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Key Concepts
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The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
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translation
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translators
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Related Keywords
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epistolary literature
(Pierre OR Peter) Abelard
Heloise
Medieval France
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translat*
Medieval literature
Medieval Latin
Historia Calamitatum
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Jean de Meun
Betty Radice
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- Try this keyword tool to brainstorm online and send the results to yourself.
2. Combine keywords using AND and OR:
- Too many results? Try using quotation marks around an exact phrase. Ex: "medieval France"
- Still too many results? Narrow using AND. Ex: translation AND Latin
- Too few results? Broaden using OR. Ex: (translat* OR Latin) AND (Historia Calamitatum OR The Letters of Abelard and Heloise)
- Put parentheses around synonyms.
- The asterisk finds multiple endings from a root word. Ex: translat* will bring back translate, translator, translation, etc.
3. Brush up on the search tools available:
