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MODULE 2.3 - Select concept words/phrases

Step 3: Select concept words/phrases

Create a list of words or phrases which describes each of your numbered concepts identified in step 2.

In making a list of keywords, consider the following:

  • Try to think of appropriate synonyms or variant forms of words could be used to describe the same concept
  • Use "controlled" words and phrases added by indexer to each reference in an index or catalogue. Use the thesaurus or indexing guide for the index or catalogue you will search for a list of these "controlled" words and phrases.
  • Consider possible hierarchical relationships within a particular concept in developing keyword lists
  • Use word truncation and wildcard. Examine each keyword to see if it can be truncated with a symbol to retrieve all variant forms after its "root" form, such as plurals.

 
 
 
 
 

Truncation
using a special symbol instead of the end of a word in an electronic search to retrieve all possible endings of that word. Sometimes truncation can be used within a word to retrieve variant spellings or at the beginning of a word to retrieve all prefixes.

 

Wildcard
using a symbol (University of Toronto library uses "?") allows you to search for words even if you are unsure of the spelling. Unlike the "$" described above, the "?" only substitutes one letter.

 
 
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