## 2.1 : Which search terms should I use?

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Before beginning your search for literature or information, it's important to first define precisely what you are looking for. Hazardly beginning a search does not often result in reliable results, or at least not quickly. Formulating a good problem definition first will save you a considerable amount of work. It will allow you to conduct a more targeted search. What information are you looking for precisely? What would you like to know? Are you looking for general information on your subject or are you dividing your research into subtopics?

#### 2.1.1 : From subject to problem definition

Using the questions below, you can formulate a specific and clear-cut assignment or problem definition.

- How much time do I have to complete my assignment? Looking up references and reading documents can take a long time, and you have to be realistic about how you divide up your time.
- How extensive should my paper be? Sometimes you can limit yourself to recent literature. In other cases, you must prepare a comprehensive bibliography and, therefore, also review older literature.
- What is the exact assignment? Sometimes you need to gather literature material; in other cases, you must then critically compare your collected material.

The biggest problem encountered when conducting research is not receiving too little information. Typically, you end up with so much information that you stray from your original research task. That is why it's wise to ask a key question when conducting research. Your research should provide an answer to this question.

Try using this key question to formulate a number of sub-questions that support the main question to be answered.

#### 2.1.2 : From problem definition to search terms

You can extract your search terms from your problem definition. The search terms form the basis for the searches. The trick is to use as few search terms as possible to find the most relevant publications possible, while receiving as few as possible irrelevant publications.

To find appropriate search terms, it is best to look up basic information in reference works (see module 1). For this, see print and online encyclopaedias, as well as general and specialist dictionaries. You can create the search terms while keeping that basic information in mind.

Different relations exist within a search term:

- Abbreviations: Abbreviations of terms that to have to do with your subject, such as BSE.
- Synonyms: A 'synonym' of a search term is another word with the same, or nearly the same, meaning, such as car/auto.
- Translations: In a majority of cases, it will be necessary to use English translations of your search terms. For English translations, remember the spelling differences between British English (behaviour) and American English (behavior) and consider the Latin names.
- Singular or plural: This is self-evident, but take this into account when formulating your search terms.
- Compound terms: In the Dutch language, compound terms are, in principle, spelled out as one word, like 'wildcard'. In the English language, compound terms are often composed out of individual words, like 'wild card'.
- Narrower term: A 'narrower term' has a relation to the search term, but it has a more limited meaning. Hence, it is a narrower search term.
- Broader term: A 'broader term' has a relationship to the search term, but it has a wider meaning. Hence, it is a wider search term.
- Related term: A 'related term' is related to the search term within the context of your subject.

If you complet your initial search terms of your problem definition with translations, synonyms, broader terms, narrower terms, etc., you will generate a good set of search terms.