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Writing 101: Preventing Pandemics

LibGuide for Writing 101 Students

Science & Engineering Librarian

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Deric Hardy
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Contact:
Perkins 233
Email me: deric.hardy@duke.edu
Call me: 919-660-5928

Day 2: Developing Keywords and Creating Database Searching

 
 
Goal #1: Turn research questions into keywords.
 
Goal #2: Use your keywords to create database searches.

Step 1: Identify Relevant Keywords from Concepts in Your Research Topic

 

Keywords are terms generated from the main concepts of your research question.

Develop Keywords from your Research Topic to Search for Peer-Reviewed Articles in Research Databases

  • Step 1: Turn your research question concepts into keywords:

"Did the economic policies of Liberia in 2014 impact healthcare access and contribute to the transmission of the Ebola Virus Disease?"

  • Economic policies
  • Liberia
  • 2014
  • healthcare access
  • transmission
  • Ebola Virus Disease

Additional Tip for Developing Keywords with a Topic Map

Use a Topic Map

  • A topic map is a tool for organizing your thoughts and developing a comprehensive list of keywords for your research.
  • You can develop additional keywords such as synonyms, acronyms, and variant spellings as subtopics for your research.

 


Download - Blank Topic Map: https://duke.box.com/s/x17yda5gsidh5biwxz7444327ujw3gt4

Create additional keywords with synonyms, acronyms, and other related terms

Synonyms: Words or phrases that mean the same or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language.

  • For example, Ebola = "Hemorrhagic Fever", "Ebola Virus Disease", "Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever", etc

Acronyms: Words formed from the initial letters of a phrase. They're like linguistic shortcuts.

  • For example, EVD, HF, Ebola HF, etc

Step 2: Use Keywords to Create Database Searches

Select a relevant database to search for peer-reviewed articles
 

Multi-disciplinary databases perform broader scoped searches:

  • Begin your search in a database such as Web of Science for a broader range of your epidemic literature search

Subject-specific databases perform more narrowly scoped searches:

 

Step 3: Use AND OR and NOT to Refine Your Library Database Search

You may add the following operators in addition to your keywords to refine your search results

AND: Narrows your search results

  • For example, Ebola AND Liberia

OR:  Broadens your search results.

  • For example, Ebola OR EVD OR Ebola Virus Disease

NOT: Excludes terms that you do not want to appear in your search results.

  • For example, Ebola AND Liberia NOT Guinea