Advanced Strategies:

Use the professional vocabulary of the subject you are investigating to create keywords. Discipline specific terms (terms that are used almost exclusively by the experts such as "stellar cartography" or "seismic hazards") will yield discipline specific information. Choose words that are unique and descriptive. Combine those words in various ways until they yield the best results.

Once you begin searching, look in the documents returned by the first query.Skim for new words that better describe what you are after.  Often you will find just the right descriptive term to get you where you want to go.

If your search results are still too broad, try using hyponyms  (more specific terms such as Ford, Chevrolet, or Toyota).  If the results are two narrow, use hypernyms (more general or broad terms, such as car, truck, or automobile).

Sometimes you have just the right keyword and the first document returned is exactly what you are looking for.  This will happen more often as you include keyword techniques in your queries.  When you're stumped advanced techniques become even more important.  Perseverance is important; with powerful keyword insights you will find what you are looking for!

Authored by Dennis O'Connor 2003