Keyword / Search Terms: Introduction
One of the most challenging aspects of a search for information on the Internet for many, if not all of our students, comes at the beginning of the process, when they attempt to come up with effective keywords for their search. Many students will choose the first words which come into their heads. Now, of course, they are not choosing words unrelated to their search but often these search terms are not effective at generating useful results. In an age where much of the information students read and use, comes from the Internet and not from sources we supply, such as textbooks, it is part of our role as teachers to assist students in acquiring the necessary skills to carry out effective research, one of these being generating keywords or search terms.
Various studies into student behaviour when performing an internet search have revealed some of the following:
- Student self perception of their skill level in performing internet searches exceeds their ability (Williamson, 2007)
- Many students do little planning at the beginning of their research (Laxman, 2009). In Laxman’s study he asked students about planning searches before actually carrying them out, and how they did so. 48% of them did not plan in advance. One of their replies could well mirror our students: “No, I do not plan because I think that the net is very resourceful. I just type in the words in the search engine and upon execution, the desired information would automatically appear.”
- Search terms used will often mirror the language of the assignment. (Georgas, 2014)
- Synonyms are seldom used, nor are related terms. (Georgas, 2014)
- If students vary their search terms, they will do so in minor ways. For example, they will change prepositions, drop a word or phrase, or invert the word order. (Georgas, 2014)
- Students rarely use quotation marks to designate an exact phrase; Boolean operators (even if they know about them); format terms, and date ranges. (Georgas, 2014)
Learning to choose efficient keywords and keyword chains can be taught. However, the problem we will face is that students are reluctant to give up habits acquired over years of schooling. As Williamson points out (2007) they believe that they already know how to do this. Thus, it requires scaffolded activities starting as early as possible that are embedded in the assessment project criteria. For example, requiring students to submit a list of keywords or search terms (or even a document mapping out their search strategy) along with the other elements of their assignment will help to emphasise the importance of this activity in improving their search results. As I often point out to students during library research lessons, if you use ‘inferior’ sources, your work can not be of the highest quality.
Works Cited
Georgas, Helen. "Google vs. the Library (Part II): Student
Search Patterns and Behaviors When Using Google and a Federated Search
Tool." Libraries and the Academy,
vol. 14, no. 4, 2014. John Hopkins
University Press,
www.press.jhu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/portal_pre_print/articles/14.4georgas.pdf.
Accessed 6 Oct. 2016.
Laxman, Kumar. "A Baseline Study on the Internet Information
Search Proficiencies of Polytechnic Students in Singapore." International Journal of Education and
Development Using ICT, vol. 5, no. 3, 2009. International Journal of Education and Development Using Information
and Communication Technology, ijedict.dec.uwi.edu/viewarticle.php?id=936.
Accessed 6 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, Kirsty, et al. "Research Students in the
Electronic Age: Impacts of Changing Information Behavior on Information
Literacy Needs." Communications in
Information Literacy, vol. 1, no. 2, 2007. Communications in Information Literacy,
www.comminfolit.org/index.php?journal=cil&page=article&op=viewArticle&path%5B%5D=Fall2007AR1&path%5B%5D=48.
Accessed 6 Oct. 2016.
