CFS 493: Professional Self Series: Develop Search Terms

The Search Process

Searching databases for articles is a process--your first search is not going to be your best search. As you try keyword searches and explore results, pay attention to the words and terms researchers use to describe ideas, as well as how the database describes the article with subject headings. Once you learn more "research-y" terms, you can go back and perform better, more targeted searches. 

Before You Search

1. Identify your question/topic

For beginning your search for research articles, consider your question and identify the key components. 

How does bullying impact school performance in high school?

  • Concept 1: Bullying
  • Concept 2: School performance
  • Concept 3: High school

2. Define your terms

Do any of the concepts need to be "operationalized" or more focused?  

For example, what does "school performance" mean? We'll need to decide if we want to look at something measurable like 

  • grades
  • graduation rates

3. Brainstorm synonyms or related terms that might be helpful for the search

  • Concept 1: Bullying or harassment
  • Concept 2: grades or graduation rates
  • Concept 3: high school students, secondary school students, adolescents

Brainstorming Keywords

Before you start searching for resources, take a few moments to think of the relevant terms that you might want to search with. This will help you build and revise your search.

Finding Articles and Research Paradigms

For your CFS Professional Self assignment, you will need to find articles that are on your topic AND also represent different research paradigms. The recommended terms below will help you refine your search to target articles that fit the desired paradigm. However, be sure you read the abstract and then article carefully to see if it is actually from the research paradigm you need. 

Recommended keywords/terms to add to your search

  • Neo-Positive/Positivism: quantitative OR measur* OR trial
  • Interpretivism: qualitative OR interviews OR focus groups OR narrative OR ethnography
  • Critical: feminist OR queer OR "critical race theory" OR intersectional OR post-colonial OR anti-racist OR anti-oppressive