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GENS 279 - Indianapolis

Decorative banner Develop research strategy.

Search Terms

Search Terms or keywords are the words and phrases entered into search boxes. The words you used and the way that those words are connected affect the search results. Do not enter your entire research question into a search box; choose your search terms carefully.

Select keywords from research questions

Look at the research questions you wrote when developing your topic. Make note of the keywords in those questions. 

Climate Change

Electric vehicle infrastructure

Off-shore wind farm

power grid

Tesla

Take a moment to think of other words with similar meanings that you might use in your search. You might also think of words that have broader or narrower meanings.

Alternative Energy

Renewable Energy

Wind Power

Solar Power

Link search terms together

AND is the most common linking term. 

Connect two search terms with an AND to tell the computer to search for articles that contain both search terms. 

For example, you are trying to find information about how privacy laws affect data collection.

"alternative energy" AND "climate change"

Tesla AND infrastructure

Sweden AND "fossil feuls" AND bioenergy

Consider using other words that have similar meanings

                 "renewable energy" AND "climate crisis"

Consider using words that are more specific

               "wind power" AND "climate change"