Research & Subject Guides: Research Paper Help: Refining your topic and identifying search terms

Topics and search terms

Video: Picking your topic IS research! (3 minutes)
This video from NCSU highlights how the research process starts before you even figure out your topic. It provides an overview of one way to go about choosing a paper topic that is not only interesting to you, but also not too broad or narrow.
Video: From Question to Keyword (1 minute)
A quick visual narrative that shows how research topics can be turned into keyword searches, from PATH, Lighting Your Way from Research to Writing Tutorial, Module 2, University at North Carolina Greensboro University Libraries.
Video: Search Smarter (4 minutes)
This video from Oklahoma State University Low Library's "Inform Your Thinking" video series provides advice and context on how to target your searches based on your information need, and how to brainstorm good search terms for your topic.
Boolean operators
A fun graphic that demonstrates the difference between AND, OR, & NOT.
Handout: Search Techniques "Cheat Sheet"
A table with a series of tricks and strategies to use when searching in databases and on Google.

Quick Check: Topics and Database Searching

Sometimes the most difficult part of finding information that is relevant to your interests is finding the right search terms. Look at this slideshow for a series of examples of research topics, and how those research topics might be turned into effective database searches. And remember, often your very best searches come after several tries -- you learn more about what search terms to use after you examine search results from less useful searches. Use database subject terms, abstracts, and open web Google searches to help find more effective terms and synonyms.