Skip to Main Content
It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

The Research Hub

For 2021-22 AES and FYS Courses and a great starting point for anyone's research.

Identifying Concepts and Keywords

So, what makes for a "good" topic?

  • Something that interests you! You'll enjoy researching it and write a paper that's meaningful to you.
  • It meets the requirements of your assignment.
  • It’s broad enough to give you several search options.
  • It’s focused enough that you’re not overwhelmed with information.

Consult your professor or a librarian to help you narrow your ideas down to a manageable topic for your paper or project.

A keyword search scans all words in a record, including the title, abstract, and author. Refer to your class notes and course materials to get ideas for search terms.

Tip: A good research topic usually contains 2-3 concepts. It is often in the form of a research question or statement. Break your topic into individual keywords by pulling out the words that indicate the main concepts of your topic.

Example:

A Research question: What motivates adult learners taking online courses?

  • Pick out Keywords: motivates, adult learners, online courses. (Words such as "what" and "taking" do not relate to the core concepts of the research question and are not effective keywords.)
  • Brainstorm alternative keywords that an author might have used. This includes different word forms and similar terms:   
  motivates   adult learners   online courses
  motivation   adult student   distance education
  motivating  non-traditional   web-based course