This page will provide some strategies for keyword selection. Once you've identified your topic, it will be necessary to break down concepts within the topic into keywords that can be used to search for sources.
Synonyms help you work from broad to narrow and back to broad searching. Sources written for general audiences will use different terms from sources written for scholarly audiences. Look at the example below to get an idea of how synonyms can broaden your understanding of a given concept.
Topic: pets and college students
Research Question: How do pets help with college students' mental health?
Synonyms and connected terms: pets, companion animals, therapy animals, animal-assisted therapy, emotional support animal, attachment, depression, self-esteem, stress, anxiety, emotional well-being, post-adolescents, college, university, higher education, residence halls