1
Start with Your Research Question
What makes a good research question?
- Specific: Focus on a particular aspect of your topic
- Researchable: Can be answered through academic sources
- Clear: Easy to understand and not overly complex
- Example: "How does social media usage affect college students' sleep patterns?"
2
Identify Key Concepts
How to identify keywords:
- Look for nouns: These are usually your main concepts
- Ignore connecting words: Skip "and", "or", "the", "how", "what"
- Think broadly: What are the main ideas you're exploring?
- Aim for 2-4 concepts: Too many will make your search too narrow
Concept 1
Synonyms & Related Terms:
Concept 2
Synonyms & Related Terms:
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Tips for Finding Great Synonyms
🔍 Strategies for brainstorming synonyms:
- Think of different audiences: How would a scientist vs. a journalist describe this?
- Consider formality levels: "Kids" vs "children" vs "adolescents" vs "youth"
- Use online thesauruses: Thesaurus.com, Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
- Check subject-specific dictionaries: Psychology, medical, business terms Look at related concepts: "Sleep" could include "insomnia", "sleep quality", "rest"
- Consider broader/narrower terms: "Social media" → broader: "technology", narrower: "Instagram"
- Think of alternative spellings: "Behavior" vs "behaviour"
- Use wildcards when available: "Teen*" finds "teen", "teens", "teenager"
💡 Quick synonym resources:
- Google Scholar: Look at how researchers phrase similar topics
- Wikipedia: Check the "See also" sections and category tags
- Library subject guides: Often list key terms for topics
- Ask a librarian: They know the best terms for your field!
4
Your Boolean Search String
Understanding Boolean Logic:
- OR: Connects synonyms (broadens search) - "social media OR Facebook OR Twitter"
- AND: Connects different concepts (narrows search) - "social media AND sleep"
- Parentheses: Group related terms - "(social media OR Facebook) AND (sleep OR insomnia)"
- Quotation marks: Search exact phrases - "social media"
Your Boolean search will appear here as you fill in the steps above...
5
Search SUNY Brockport Library Databases
Choose the right database for your topic:
- Academic Search Complete: Multidisciplinary database - good starting point
- JSTOR: Scholarly articles across many disciplines
- PsycINFO: Psychology, behavioral sciences, mental health
- ERIC: Education research and information
- Business Source Premier: Business, economics, management