Keywords (or search terms) are the words you use to search. They're what you enter into the search box of a search tool, such as Google or a Library database like ProQuest.
Databases such as the ones you will be using for your classes provide better results if you use three strategies for entering your keywords.
Separate words and phrases with the word AND, like this:
politicians AND Black AND laws
The AND is called a Boolean operator.
Another Boolean operator is OR, which you can use to link synonyms:
politicians AND (Black OR "African American") AND laws
Notice that when you use OR, you also use parenthesis around the words your connecting (that's important!)
Use quotation marks around common phrases. Quotation marks will keep your words "stuck" together.
"African Americans"
"Harlem Renaissance"
"colonial women"
"Americans with Disabilities Act"
You can search the open web more efficiently using the following strategies.
Limit your search to a specific domain type or website using site:
site:.gov
site:.edu
site:usnews.com
Find websites that have your search terms in the title using intitle:
intitle:"racial bias"
Examples:
intitle:history site:.edu
intitle:"Harlem Renaissance" site:theatlantic.com
Use the asterisk to truncate words. Truncating means that you put an * at the end of the root word.
government -- looks only for the word government
govern* -- looks for govern, government, governing, governed, etc.
More examples:
histor* = history, historical, historically
environ* = environment, environmentally
colon* = colony, colonial, colonist, colonists
politicians AND Black AND laws
politician* AND Black AND law*
politician* AND (Black OR "African American") AND law*
politician* AND (Black OR "African American") AND (law* OR legal*)