When developing a keywords list, you have to think about what term or short phrasing that an author could potentially use to refer to a topic or concept. To help with this, think of broader and narrower terms related to the concepts in your research question. Remember, related keywords don't have to mean exactly the same thing, but they are similar enough to the original keyword that they could enrich your research.
Thesauri can be helpful tools when you are struggling to think of synonyms for a term.
Try different combinations of keywords and keyword phrases. Write down the keywords that find the results most relevant to your research question.
If your initial keyword searches are coming up with a handful of results that you like, skim the article abstract and the subject terms for ideas on potential keywords that you can add to your search.
Research Question: How does involvement in Greek organizations impact the academic success of university students?
| Greek organizations | academic success | university student |
|---|---|---|
| extracurricular activities | academic achievement | college student |
| sororities | graduation rates | student |
| fraternities | student retention | college freshmen |
| social groups | grades |
This photograph of two male students reading books in the stacks is part of the CMU Archives and Special Collections JSTOR Digital Collection.
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