Choosing Search Terms

Search terms commonly consist of words or phrases from a work's title, abstract, or cover blurb, or from keywords that experts have assigned to it. You can use these to conduct a search.

If your search delivers too many hits, then it was not precise enough. Try using more or different terms to better describe your topic. Consider using terms contained in relevant hits from your initial search.

If your search does not deliver enough (or any) hits, you may have used the wrong search terms or searched in the wrong place. Try using different search terms and/or ask a subject expert where to look for information.

Hint

You may wish to check the keywords that transferred to Citavi when you imported lists of hits from research databases or library catalogs. These can often provide ideas or inspiration for relevant search terms.