Start With Keywords
Library databases like BU Libraries Search work best when you use a technique called keyword searching. This type of searching is different than using a tool like Google where you can put a full research question in the search bar and still get results. Keyword searching requires a little more preparation, but your results will be highly relevant to your question and this is a skill that you can bring to Google and every other database to improve your search results!
What to know:
- Keywords are what you type into the search bar
- Good keywords help you find resources for your project
- Generate keywords by identifying core concepts from your research question (i.e. time, place, event, media, people)
Generating Keywords Example
Research Topic: Urban Green Spaces
Initial Research Question: How does urban green space impact the mental and physical health of local residents?
Background Information:
Who: Residents of Boston and BU students, specifically on the Charles River Campus
Keywords: Boston, Boston University, student, students, college students, Charles River, residents, locals
Where: The Charles River Esplanade, Cambridge
Keywords: Charles River, Cambridge, Boston, esplanade
When: Over the last decade
Keywords: Covid-19, pandemic, 21st century, Millennials, generation Z, gen-Z
What: University student mental health, The Wellbeing Project at BU, environmentalism
Keywords: urban green space, mental health, physical health, wellbeing, stress, self-care, environment, environmentalism, walking, cycling
Refined Research Question: How has the increase in urban green spaces like the Charles River Esplanade impacted the mental and physical health of local university students over the last decade?
Potential Searches in BU Libraries Search: "green space" AND university AND health, "urban green space" AND Boston AND students
Search Hacks
Use quotation marks to search for a phrase
i.e. "urban green space," "college student," "mental health"
Use AND to search for items with all search words in any order.
i.e. "green space" AND "mental health," "college student" AND "urban green space"
Use OR to search for items with at least one search word.
i.e. college OR university, "mental health" OR "physical health"
Use parenthesis to combine these search hacks!
i.e. (college OR university) AND "green space" AND health
Use a question mark to search for variations of a single character.
i.e. wom?n searches for woman, women, and womyn
Use an asterisk to search for variations of multiple characters.
i.e. environmen* searches for environment, environments, environmental, environmentalist, environmentalism
Use NOT to exclude words or phrases.
i.e students NOT elementary, "green space" NOT rural
Try It Yourself!
- BU Libraries Search This link opens in a new window
BU Libraries Search provides a single place to search for a wide variety of research material provided by the library. Resources covered by the search includes books and eBooks, journals, scores and sheet music, video and audio recordings, and other physical and electronic items held by the library. Coverage encompasses materials relating to the prehistoric and antique world through to the present.
- A-Z Database ListUse this list to navigate your options for subject-specific databases. Not sure where to start? Use the drop down filters to narrow by subject or type of information.
If you get stuck, ask a librarian!
Helpful Resources
A useful tool to use for generating keywords is the University of North Carolina Wilmington Library's My Research Strategy, which helps you go from your research question to a search that you can copy and paste into BU Libraries Search!
Before searching, it helps to reflect on your topic: this short video will guide you through brainstorming keywords to search.
