After reviewing the material on this page, you will be able to
Before heading to the library databases to search for scholarly information pertaining to your topic, it is good to sit down and think about what you are looking for. Write your research topic or question down and determine the main concepts. There is no one right way to do this, and there need not be related terms for every concept. You do not have to search for every single related term you have come up with. You just want to make sure you are not missing an important alternative concept that a researcher might use to describe an element of your topic or question. Here is an example of a research topic broken down by your librarian.
Example research topic: Examine sustainable forest management in Canada's boreal forest, focusing on Indigenous perspectives.
Concepts are highlighted/underlined: Examine sustainable forest management in Canada’s boreal forest, focusing on Indigenous perspectives.
Here are the main concepts: forest management, sustainable forest management, Canada, boreal forest, Indigenous perspectives.
Your librarian came up with these synonyms and related terms by exploring the main concepts online. There may be other synonyms or related terms. Here is some description about determining these related terms: