This PPT for Ms. Compton's ENG 101 class will cover how to come up with keywords to search in the library databases.

1. Coming Up
with
Keywords!

2. HELLO!
I am Amber Pierdinock
I’ll be your embedded librarian this semester.
Email: pierdinocka@sccsc.edu
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3. Welcome!
Hi everyone! Now that you are getting started with Essay
2, I wanted to talk about coming up with keywords for
searching in library databases. There are a few different
ways that you can brainstorm keywords when searching.
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4. What are Keywords?
▫ Keywords are 1-2 words or short phrases that you use
when searching in library databases or the catalog.
▫ Library databases are very literal so they will only
search for the exact keywords you type in.
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5. How Do You Know Which Keywords to Pick?
▫ Choosing keywords is a trial-and-error process.
▫ It is normal and okay to try out multiple keywords to
find what you’re looking for (librarians do this all the
time).
▫ Don’t get stuck using the same 1-2 keywords over and
over again.
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6. Background Research
▫ Doing background research is a great way to find
keywords, since it will give you an overview of your
research topic.
⬝ Background sources are usually written for a general audience
and will better explain your topic to someone who does not
know a lot about it.
▫ Write down any major words, key people, or key events
related to your topic.
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7. Use Database-Supplied Keywords
▫ Some of the SCC Library Databases do give keywords
for their articles.
▫ If you ever have an article that gives keywords, write
them down to use in a future search.
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8. Example of Database-Supplied Keywords in Gale
▫ Some articles will have
an “Explore” box with
“Related Subjects.”
▫ These “Related Subjects”
could be used as future
keyword searches!
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9. Example of Database Supplied Keywords in EBSCO
▫ Author Supplied
Keywords found in the
record page of the article.
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10. Use a Thesaurus
▫ Library databases are very literal and they will search
for the exact words that you type in.
▫ However, some articles might use a different term to
describe the same topic.
▫ Use a Thesaurus to help you find synonyms of your
keywords.
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11. Remember Boolean Operators!
▫ To search multiple keywords at once, use Boolean Operators, which
tell the database to connect the terms together in your search.
▫ There are 3 Boolean Operators:
⬝ AND—searches for articles that include both of your keywords.
⬝ OR—helpful if you are searching for synonyms, because OR
looks for either word in the article.
⬝ NOT—searches for articles that exclude keywords; helpful for
when your keywords have multiple meanings.
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12. THANKS!
Any questions?
You can email me at:
pierdinocka@sccsc.edu
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13. CREDITS
Special thanks to all the people who made and
released these awesome resources for free:
▫ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival
▫ Photographs by Unsplash
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