Answered By: Brian Richards Last Updated: Sep 21, 2026 Views: 9
Keywords are the most important words and phrases related to your research topic. They help you search library databases, catalogs, and other research tools more effectively.
Many search systems do not search the way humans ask questions. Instead of entering a complete sentence, researchers often get better results by identifying the key concepts within their topic and searching with those terms.
Start with Your Research Question
Break your research question into its main concepts.
Research Question: How is artificial intelligence changing college student research practices?
Main concepts:
- Artificial Intelligence
- College Students
- Research Practices
Example: Breaking a Topic into Keywords
Suppose you want to research how artificial intelligence is changing college student research practices.
- Concept 1: Artificial Intelligence
- AI
- Generative AI
- Machine Learning
- Concept 2: College Students
- Students
- Undergraduates
- Higher Education Students
- Concept 3: Research Practices
- Research Skills
- Information Literacy
- Academic Research
Any of these related terms may appear in scholarly articles. Trying different combinations can help you discover additional sources and perspectives.
Look for New Keywords
As you search, pay attention to:
- Subject terms in database records
- Article titles and abstracts
- Keywords listed by authors
- New terminology used by researchers in the field
These terms can help you refine and improve future searches.
Use Multiple Keywords
Combining keywords often produces more focused results.
For example:
- artificial intelligence AND college students
- mental health AND social media
- telehealth AND rural healthcare
Most databases allow you to combine terms and apply filters to narrow results further.
Expect Your Keywords to Evolve
Keyword selection is part of the research process. As you learn more about your topic, you may discover better terminology, new concepts, or additional ways to describe your research question.
Effective researchers continually refine their keywords as their understanding of the topic grows.
Need Help?
Librarians at the Brother Edmond Drouin Library can help you identify keywords, develop search strategies, and use library databases more effectively.