ENGL 100 - Expository Writing

When you use Google to find information, you type in words or phrases that convey the most important aspects of what you are searching for. The challenge is to start with a community group, which can be hyper-localized, and expand it outward so you can find research on it. For example, if your community group is a local knitting club, try using keywords like "knitting" and "culture," or "knitting" and "stereotypes." 

Keywords can also come about after you do the interview. You should use keywords when searching library databases and other resources. 

Advice on Synonyms:

• Synonyms make your list of keywords longer
• More keywords = better searching = more results

Not all of the results you get from synonym searching will be directly related to your topic. Look at the example to the right to get an idea of how synonyms can broaden your understanding of a given concept.  

Key Points:

• Make lists of keywords for the main concepts of your research topic
• Use single words or simple phrases
• Be prepared that this may all change as you learn more information
• Be flexible
• Use a thesaurus to help generate synonyms