LSU Libraries User Instruction
Searching Techniques and Strategies Tutorial

Generating Search Terms, Cont.

Say we wanted to do a project on pollution. There are all kinds of aspects of pollution, but we decide we want to focus on the effects of pollution on the environment. That's better, but it's still not specific enough. What kinds of pollution? There's everything from smog to oil spills to the depletion of the ozone layer. And what part of the environment? The world is a pretty big place. We need specific things to look up, specific kinds of pollution and specific effects on the environment. "The Depletion of the Ozone Layer and Its Relationship to the Increase in the Rate of Skin Cancer" is perfect. You need to try to make your topic as specific as possible. Here are some more examples:

Too broad
  • Gender in Literature
  • Pollution and the Environment
  • Politics and the Media
  • Violence on Television
 More specific
  • The Depiction of Women in Old English Epics
  • The Effects of Oil Spills on Wildlife
  • The Presentation of Monica Lewinski in the Media
  • Jerry Springer and the Culture of Violence


Encyclopedias can be of great help here if you don't know much about your topic. You can also try talking to people knowledgeable about your topic and asking them for suggestions

Now that you know your subject, you need to determine what subject area it falls into.


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