Keyword searching is what we all do every day on search engines or through virtual assistants. You can use words you already know to start getting a broad view of available resources on a given subject.
For example, if you're looking for information about election fraud, you might start with keywords like elections, voting, fraud, etc.
You'd also want to explore synonyms and broader or narrower terms, like voting machines, electronic voting, or electoral malpractice.
As you refine your search, you might add context- or place-specific keywords like United States, Arizona, and Maricopa County.
Keyword searching tricks: try these in library databases and Google, too
| misinformation | Searches for any item with the word misinformation |
| conspiracy theory | Searches for any item with words conspiracy or theory, in any order |
| "conspiracy theory" | Searches for items with the words conspiracy theory as a set, or exact phrase |
Also known by the fancier term Boolean Searching, AND OR searching can help you execute precise, complex searches. As your topic or research question becomes more complex, this technique comes in handy. If you don't know whether sources use the term "teenager" or "young person" or whatever (and why would you?), you need to use AND OR Searching! These tools also work in many search engines.
| teenagers AND "social media" | Searches for both the word teenagers and the phrase social media |
| teenagers OR adolescents OR "young adults" | Searches for any of the words teenagers, adolescents, or the phrase young adults |
| (rap or "hip hop") AND "country music" | Finds results that mention the terms rap or hip hop, and also country music |
Library resources (and search engines, too) often have a link to an Advanced Search page. You'll find that Advanced Searches have pre-loaded boxes and dropdowns to make AND OR searching a cinch.