by The Open University
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Keywords are significant words which define the subject you are looking for. The importance of keywords is illustrated by the fact that there is a whole industry around providing advice to companies on how to select keywords for their websites that are likely to make it to the top of results lists generated by search engines. We often choose keywords as part of an iterative process; usually if we don't hit on the right search terms straight off, most of us tweak them as we go along based on the results we get.
However, if you are looking for specific information it is sometimes better to take a systematic approach to choosing your keywords. Follow my example below.
Ask yourself, what do I need to know? ? I need to know about the effects of mobile phones on teenagers? health.
Break the topic down into its broad areas or concepts. You will usually find that your question breaks down into a couple of ideas or concepts.teenagers ? health - mobile phone use
Think of some alternative words for the words you have chosen ? for instance, 'young people' and 'adolescents' mean roughly the same thing. So that you don't miss anything, remember:
Plurals ? child, children
Abbreviations ? UK, United Kingdom
Variations in spelling ? colour, color, specialised, specialized
Variations in terminology used in different cultures and countries ? for instance, 'children with emotional and behavioural problems' (UK) are referred to as 'maladjusted children' in the US.
This will help to ensure that you find things that an author might have referred to using different terms. It is important to think of synonyms or alternative subject words when you are planning a search because including synonyms will ensure that you don't miss relevant material. But don't worry if you can't always find any sensible substitutes for the words you have chosen ? there might not be any.
In this example, I might use:
adolescents and young people as well as teenagers
cell phones as well as mobile phones.
Write out your query in full ? I need to know about the effects of mobile or cell phone use on adolescents or young people or teenagers? health.
By using this approach, I have created a search statement that I can use to search any resource, whether it?s a search engine, a database or an electronic journal.
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