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Lloyd Sealy Library
John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Library Basics: Keywords and Search Terms

A quick overview of the Library: The physical space, off-campus resources, research tips, and more

What is a Search Term?

A search terms is a word or a phrase used to conduct searches on a particular topic. Search terms can be utilized on search tools like OneSearch, databases, online content and more. These search terms, also known as keywords, help refine search results to provide more relevant information.

Research Techniques

Use Keywords for Searching 

Researchers often conduct multiple searches using a variety of terms in order to find the best information. For example, "social media" and "Instagram" might bring up different but related results. Using fewer words will increase the number of results, but those results might not be relevant. In contrast, using more words will result in more specific and fewer results. For instance, compare the search for "clothing" with the search for "affordable sustainable fashion."

Apply Filters

Researchers use filters to narrow their results. These filters are typically found on the left or right sidebar, though every search tool is different. Useful filters include those that limit results by date range, subject area, peer review, material type and more.

Choose Search Terms

After narrowing down your topic and formulating your research question, identify the key concepts within your query. Instead of searching for the full question, utilize these concepts as your search terms or keywords.

  1. Research question example: How does domestic violence affect children?                                
Possible search terms:

"domestic violence" AND children
"family violence" AND children 
  1. Research question example: Does providing employment opportunities to ex-prisoners reduce the risk of recidivism?
Possible search terms:
ex-prisoners AND employment AND recidivism
ex-convicts AND employment AND recidivism