Questions? Email me at svonwinckelmann@miracosta.edu
Brainstorm a list of keywords based on your research topic or question. Then, conduct background research in Gale Ebooks or OneSearch to learn more about your topic and refine your keywords. The videos below will walk you through how to do this.
Preliminary Topic: Challenges that college students who are parents face
| Research Focus | Main Concepts | Synonyms / Related Terms | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Challenges | Responsibilities | Balancing coursework, time management, study habits | ||
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| Financial Challenges | Costs | Financial strain, tuition, cost of college, expenses | ||
| Employment | Working students, part-time jobs, financial aid, scholarships | |||
| Support Challenges | Family Support | Childcare, family assistance | ||
| Campus Resources | Counseling services, student parent programs, resource centers |
After conducting background research, decide on a focus and update your keywords.
| Research Focus | Main Concepts | Synonyms / Related Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Campus Support Services | Campus resources | Student parent programs, resource centers, on-campus support |
| Family support services | Childcare services, family assistance, counseling for parents | |
| College Students who are Parents | Student parents | Parenting students, caregiving students, students with dependents |
1. Spelling counts! Not seeing many results? Double-check your spelling.
2. Try "Phrase Searching" - Place quotation marks around keywords you want to keep together.
Example: "college students" "family assistance"
3. You May Not Find Everything in One Place - It’s unlikely that a single source will cover all aspects of your topic. Instead, think of each source as providing pieces of a puzzle.
4. Use Author's Words - Think about how experts in the field phrase the concepts you're researching and try those words in your search.
Keyword searching is not an exact science and you may need to experiment with different combinations to get the best results.
