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School of Peace Studies: Keyword strategies

Developing the research topic / question

 

Brainstorming keywords

  • Try moving from general to more scholarly:

    • Sleeping problems   to   insomnia  

    • Mood issues  to   depression

  • Try moving from broad to more specific

    • Sleep supplements  to  melatonin

  • Start out with 2-4 keywords and review your hits

    • Ex. insomnia, depression, melatonin

  • Look at other keywords/subjects listed with your results

    • Ex.  circadian rhythms

Resources to help brainstorm keywords

Want help brainstorming keywords?  Try:

How to Generate Keywords

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/keywords/index.php

Source: University of Texas at Austin (CC-BY-NC 3.0)

OR

Search Strategy Generator

http://www.lib.umich.edu/search-generator

Source: University of Michigan Library