Student Activism 1960s to Now  Tags: student_activism 1960s black_panthers weather_underground brown_berets aim young_lords protest_movements vietnam  

What do you need to find out or verify about your topic?

List research questions (big or small!), your thesis statement, and key words or phrases.

If you're researching a particular topic, such as "COINTELPRO", then you need to list as many synonyms and related key words as possible. Use the list of words to create multiple combinations with the word AND in order to have a successful search:

• cointelpro, counterintelligence, fbi
• civil liberties, freedom, first amendment
• black panthers, dissenters, politics

So...what's the difference between KEYWORD v. SUBJECT searching?

• Keyword search = to combine key words or for more specific search; finds items that contain your keywords
• Subject search = for broad search or when you know terminology; finds items that are about that topic

TIPS:

• Use symbols such as the * at the end of key words to pick up alternate endings. (politic* = politics, political, politicans, etc.)
• Use keyword and subject searching together: start with a keyword search, find an item that's relevant, then look for subject headings within item descriptions and incorporate those subject words into your search strategy.