Literature Keywords
Literature Keywords
The Literature Keywords tool generates targeted search terms to help you find relevant academic sources for your research topic.
What this section is about
Finding the right literature requires knowing what to search for. This tool analyzes your topic and research questions to produce keyword combinations, Boolean search strings, and database-specific suggestions.
When you should use this
Use Literature Keywords when you:
• Are beginning your literature search
• Want to expand beyond obvious search terms
• Need database-specific search strategies
• Are finding too few or too many results
How it works
1. Navigate to Writing > Topic Explorer > Literature Keywords
2. Enter your topic information:
• Import from Topic Ideas or enter manually
• Add your research questions
• Specify your discipline
3. Click "Generate Keywords"
4. Receive organized keyword sets:
• Primary keywords (core concepts)
• Secondary keywords (related terms)
• Boolean search strings (ready to copy)
• Synonyms and alternatives
• German/English equivalents
5. Copy keywords directly to use in:
• Google Scholar
• Your university library
• Specialized databases (PubMed, JSTOR, etc.)
[Placeholder - Screenshot of keyword results]
Important notes
• Keywords are starting points - refine based on results
• Different databases may require different search syntax
• Combine keywords with filters (year, peer-reviewed, etc.)
• Save useful keywords for future reference
Related sections
• Topic Ideas Generator
• Uploading Documents