Consider the aspects of your research project.
Are you looking for background information?
Track down foundational texts on your topic. (e.g. researching second-wave feminism, start with a subject-specific glossary or encyclopedia to gather key names and texts). The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms has a two-page entry on feminism that will direct you to Simone de Beauvoir, and Gloria Steinem.
Look at historical texts – archival sources: What did topic x look like in y time period? E.g. What do 1950s magazines say about child psychology?
See contextual sources – sources that place your topic in its political, professional, historical, cultural, and/or biographical contexts. (e.g. How were college athletes treated differently in the 1970s? How has federal legislation impacted college athletes?)
Look for sources that will interpret or analyze your argument. Consider primary sources: Literary or artistic texts; Case studies; Biographical or archival sources; research findings.
Look for sources that already speak to your topic. That argue one way or another? See journal articles and books by scholars in the field.
For sources that provide definitions of terminology and concepts? Or give you methods to interpret your primary sources? See texts that define your topic, including its conventions or rules, key elements, opportunities and challenges, and historical and cultural associations.
Brainstorm a list of 10-20 keywords based on your needs.
See an example.
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[1] Example from Walden University, “Keyword Searching: Finding Articles on Your Topic: Keyword Search Strategy,”