Identifying terms for database searching (and more).
Keyword: A significant word in the abstract, title (1), or text (2) of a work (1) that is used as a descriptor (1). Can be considered a type of search term (ALA Glossary of Library Information Science, 2013)
Keyword: A significant or memorable word or term in the title, abstract, or text of an information resource that indicates its subject and is often used as a search term (ACRL-IS Glossary, 2018)
Keyword: significant term found in a document, in its title or in an abstract, which identifies subject content (Concise Dictionary of LIS, 2000).
Keywords are the most important words or concepts in your research topic. They describe the question you would like answered and are entered into a database or search engine to retrieve results. Databases will search for keywords in articles and return options to review.
Sometimes the results support your search, other times they miss the mark. Why? Keep in mind that:
When searching a database, these words are not always the same.
Photo 1: Free to use from Unsplash
The photographer describes it as "Fruit stand under a tree."
Search term used on Unsplash was "farmer's market."
Keyword Examples: Farmer's market, seller's market, food co-op, fruit stand, citrus fruit, produce display, product, outdoor market place, street market, agricultural market, greengrocer, or fruiterer.
Photo 2: Free to use from Pixabay
The photographer described it as "outdoor dining restaurant bar."
Search term used on Pixabay was "pizza restaurant."
Keyword examples: restaurant, outdoor dining, ordering dinner, meeting friends, restaurants, dining al fresco, eating dinner, outdoor seating, date night, patio dinner, conversation, meal time, meals al fresco, and dinner.
Photo 3: Free to Use from Pixabay
Photographer described photo as Statue of liberty, Island, Bay image
Search term used on Pixabay was "Statue of Liberty."
Class defined keywords: