Keyword Search Strategies
When books and articles were written and cataloged in the past, terms were used that we now would consider somewhat outdated. Remember, to make certain you are searching comprehensively, it is sometimes necessary to use terms that were commonplace in the past. Below are some examples of keywords to search when using the library catalog or the research databases.
You may want to consider combining keywords to narrow your search. Below are some examples:
African Americans and educational attainment
Civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blacks and mental health
|
Blacks |
African Americans |
Negroes |
Harlem |
|
Black Americans |
Afro-Americans |
Black Power |
Afro-American Studies |
|
Black Studies |
African American Studies |
Africana Studies |
African Dispora Studies |
|
Africology |
Afrocentricity |
Civil Rights Movement |
Black Panthers |
You may want to consider combining keywords to narrow your search.
African Americans AND educational attainment
Civil rights movement AND Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blacks AND mental health
You can also broaden your search by adding OR between the keywords or phrases:
African Americans OR Afro-Americans
Black Panthers OR Black Power
Once you find a book or journal article, check out the subject terms associated on the library catalog record. These subject terms are another good way to find additional sources.
Books will have an abstract that contains subject terms. You can click on any of the subject terms to locate more resources.
Journal articles will have an abstract that contains subject terms. Often it also contains keywords that you can use to create a new search. You can click on any of the subject terms to locate more resources.
