ENGL 1301 - Gazella - Fall 2025: Searching + Keywords

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Use Keywords to search - not sentences!

Databases work differently than search engines.  Instead of using natural language, use keywords!  Keywords are the most important words in your topic.

Example topic: What are the benefits of dogs on a person's mental health?

Keywords:

• benefits
• dogs
• "mental health"

Play around with keywords if you need to narrow or broaden your topic.  Brainstorm related terms, synonyms, antonyms, etc.  Or try a keyword generator.

• pets
• "pet therapy"
• anxiety
• depression
• disadvantages

When trying to come up with keywords, consider:

• Using synonyms
• Using broader terms
• Narrowing the search with other appropriate terms
• That the defaults of the search tool may not be as you expect; words may be searched as a phrase
• Looking at the indexing terms of search results that are good matches

Keyword Generator

This "generator" from UT Libraries is designed to help students think about the essential parts of their topic, identify additional terms, and construct a search statement.