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Selecting Search Terms: Home

Quick Study Guide that provides tutorials on selecting search terms for your project.

Library Skills Videos

Asking a Librarian

Paul Graham, University Librarian

Email Paul Graham (AST)

Subject Liaison: Creative Arts, Education, Psychology

Kathy Coorsh, Academic Librarian

Email Kathy Coorsh (EST)

Subject Liaison: Business, Interior Design/Decorating & General Studies

Nell Beaudry, Academic Librarian

Email Nell Beaudry (PST)

Subject Liaison: Business, Library Instruction, Information Literacy, Psychology

Melissa Discola, Library Technician

Email Melissa Discola (EST)

Subject Liaison: Textbook Management & Administration

Sarah Van Sickle, Academic Librarian

Email Sarah Van Sickle (EST)

Subject Liaison: Resource Management, Business, Interior Design/Decorating, Creative Arts

What are search terms?

Search terms are specific words or phrases that individuals use when conducting searches in a library database (or Google Scholar). These terms help users find relevant materials such as books, articles, and other resources. Search terms can include keywords related to the topic or subject matter they are researching, and they are used to retrieve relevant records from the database's index or catalogue. Effective selection and combination of search terms are crucial for retrieving accurate and useful information from a library database. (See Also, Boolean Searching.)

Selecting Search Terms

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Software Options

Citation Software Options

  • Zotero: Zotero is freely accessible citation and research management software.
  • Endnote: EndNote is a reference manager that helps you save time formatting citations, so you can focus on your research.
  • Mendeley: Mendeley brings your research to life, so you can make an impact on tomorrow
  • Papers: Papers helps you collect and curate the research material that you're passionate about.