Library Guides
To come up with keywords, identify the most important words in your research question or topic.
| How are Māori and Pākehā relations reflected in New Zealand art? |
In the research question above, the most important keywords are: "Māori and Pākehā relations", and "New Zealand art"
You could start searching the library's databases with just these keywords, but you may need to expand your search by brainstorming related words for each keyword. These could be:
Take a look at the table below to see what other words we could use for 2 of our keywords.
| Keyword 1: Māori and Pākehā relations | Keyword 2: New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Broader: Race relations | Synonym: Aotearoa |
| Narrower: European settlers | Broader: Australasia, Common Wealth |
| Related: Postcolonialism, Colonialism | Narrower: Wellington |
As you search for sources using the keywords, you will identify new keywords from abstracts, subject terms and titles. You can revise your searches with new keywords and continue the process until you find relevant sources.
