WR 121 Research Log

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Glossary

Keyword

When you enter a term into the search box in a database, like a library catalog, article database or web search engine, you are using a keyword. The search program in the database finds the records that include the keyword or keywords you indicated, and deliver those records to you to review.

Your keywords should represent the main concepts or ideas in your research question. Remember that you, the authors and the people making each index or database may each have chosen different words to represent those concepts. You can improve your chances of success by thinking of multiple ways to represent the same concept, and trying a variety of keywords.