After determining your research topic or question, and before you search for any resources, it is worthwhile to identify several keywords that concisely capture what you want to find.  In order to narrow down your topic and select the most appropriate keywords, ask yourself the following questions:

Please use the keyword worksheets below to get started with your research in American Studies.  Note: There is a BLANK worksheet, as well as a SAMPLE one, that illustrate how to use the worksheet.

Use the RIGHT database for your topic.  (See the Sources listed in this guide.)  You're not typically going to find music information in a database about American politics or supply chain management.  When in doubt, consult with your liaison librarian, Heidi Abbey Moyer, for more assistance. 

Use the RIGHT keywords in strategic ways.  Some examples of this include:

• Brainstorm synonyms for your topic.  If you don't have good search results, change your keywords!
• Select key terms that reflect your main concepts (i.e., the "5Ws") mentioned above.
• Do not use initial articles like "a, an, the" as they are unnecessary.
• Case sensitivity usually does not matter!  Use all lower case letters.
• Spelling matters!  Some databases will not correct spelling errors or prompt you for related terms.
• Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms unless very common, such as "USA" and "NASA."
• Spell out the names of authors, or use a surname only  (e.g., Smith is preferable to J. Smith).
• You are not alone!  Consult with your liaison librarian, Heidi Abbey Moyer, for more assistance. 

Use BOOLEAN LOGIC to construct an effective search strategy.  This includes the terms "AND, OR, NOT," which are usually capitalized.  Some examples are below:

• AND narrows down a search; both terms must be present (e.g., Amish AND Rumspringa)
• OR broadens a search with synonyms or related terms; either term will be present (e.g., Amish OR Mennonite OR Anabaptists)
• NOT eliminates items; one term is not present (e.g., Amish NOT Mennonite)
• Avoid using too many Boolean terms in one search as this may result in too few or too many results.
• For more information, consult the Library of Congress' guide to using Boolean terms.

Use more ADVANCED search features such as truncation, phrase searching, and limits, which are database-specific search options (e.g., type of publication, date, age groups, etc.) and will allow you to limit your results in many different ways:

• Truncation: In many research databases, you can use an asterisk (*) to retrieve items with the same root word.  For example, searching for "America*" with an asterisk will find the occurrence of the term "America" as well as "American" and "Americanist."  Or, searching for "child*" will find "child, children, or even childish." Other frequently used truncation symbols include a question mark (?) or a dollar sign ($).  Caution:  Databases do not always use the same truncation symbols, so check the Help or Search Hints section of any given database.
• Phrase Searching: Most databases require quotation marks (" ") to force an exact phrase search for TWO OR MORE words.  A phrase search locates only records containing the words in the particular order in which they appear.  For example, "American Civil War" not American Civil War, requires that the words are next to each other and maintains the context of your search.
• Search Limits or Options: Nearly all databases offer an "advance search" option that will enable you to more effectively find what you need.  These limits could include content type (archival materials, dissertation, journal article, map, music score, streaming video, etc.); date of publication (day, month, year, historical period); peer-reviewed or scholarly content; language; and even image types (chart, graph, black-and-white photograph).