COM 101: Composition & Research

In this lesson you will learn how to brainstorm a list of search terms based on your topic or clinical question.  You will:

1. Watch the self guided "Develop a list of Key Terms" Prezi which will demonstrate how you can develop a list of search terms from your clinical question.
2. Look at the chart in the "Developing Search Terms" box which shows a full example of that process.
3. Complete the Search Term Brainstorming activity which allows you to practice these skills.

So what's the big deal with search terms?  This may seem unnecessary in a world with Google but for scholarly, authoritative research you'll need to utilize library databases.  And with databases, you will need to use the appropriate search terms.

What will search terms do for you?

• Make your research more effective & efficient.
• Find the most useful sources faster & easily.
• Save you time!
• Get you better grades!

After developing a topic for your research, you must identify the main concepts of your topic.  

The Prezi and chart below are examples of how to brainstorm search terms including synonyms, broader/narrower terms, related terms.

Topic:  How effective is pet therapy for elderly patients suffering from depression?

Major Concepts:  pet therapy, elderly patients, depression

Download and complete the following activity.  Instructions can be found within the document.