1. (Re-)Define Your Information Needs
What do you already know about the assignment requirements? What topic ideas do you have so far?
Does your current idea fit all areas of the assignment?
2. (Re-)Define Your Topic
What synonyms and related terms can you come up with? Keep track of what connections you find with a possible keyword list!
Do you recognize any areas that are a bit weaker in your current understanding of the topic?
What makes the most sense to include from now and what do you want to know more about?
Keywords are the first (and, often, most skipped) step in your research.
We can talk about the same issues using completely different words; if you only identify one of those words to search, you might be drilling down in the wrong spot! Searches for a computer vs. a Dell vs. a desktop will get you very different results, after all.
Below are a couple of ways to approach coming up with alternate ways of thinking about your topic, though there are certainly other ways to do it as well. This isn't an exercise to do in your head, write it out!
Developing Keywords
Example Research Question: How does media affect voting in young people?
Keywords: media voting young people
Brainstorm some of the different ways we can think about these key concepts. Those alternate keywords can be synonyms, broader, or more narrow terms. For example:
Media might generate a list like:
- television
- news
- talk shows
- internet
- social media
- twitter / x
- social networking
Voting could generate a list like:
- political campaigns
- advertisement
- elections
- vote
- civic engagement
- polls
And young people might generate a list like this:
- students
- college students
- undergraduates
- high school students
- youth
- young adults
- emerging adults
- gen z/millennials
- 18-24 year olds
You can use the worksheet below to explore your own topic further.
Concept Mapping
Concept mapping is another approach to keyword development & brainstorming that is a bit more visual than strategies on the keyword worksheet. Besides that, this can help you map out how your paper could go to be sure you cover all areas that you consider necessary.
In this example, we have voting in the center of the concept map with four keywords and ideas that stem from the central issue of voting; candidates, voters, single issue voters, and the question how? From each of these new ideas more keywords may stem out, for example, under single issue voters, those single issues are mapped out as health care, LGBTQ, guns, immigration, and women's rights.
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Concept Map Planning AxThis is an accessible document that can help you create key words and phrases that are more useful to your searches. Fill it in to develop your topic further!
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Blank Concept MapIf you want to have a space to begin your concept mapping, use this document as you work through the worksheet above.