Skip to Main Content

Spark 001 (Koehler)

Research Guide for Prison Literacy

Keywords

Keywords are the building blocks of our searches. These are terms associated with your topic or research area.

 

Examples

  • Japanese internment, Japanese relocation, Japanese incarceration
  • Japanese Americans
  • Merced assembly center, Merced detention center, Merced relocation center
  • California
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • evacuation, evacuees
  • detainment, relocation, mass incarceration
  • World War II

Search Tips

#1: Use double quotes to search for a phrase. Keep the words together in that order!

"Japanese internment"

"World War II"

"Merced Assembly Center"

#2: Join similar concepts with OR.

"Merced assembly center" OR "Merced detention center" OR "Merced relocation center"

#3: Join different concepts with AND.

Merced

AND

detained OR relocated OR interned OR arrested OR incarcerated

AND

Japanese

How Should I Search in a Database?

Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), Ronald Williams Library, 1:27

When you search in a database, it's a good idea to use keywords and Boolean Operators (AND, OR, & NOT).

  1. What do you enter into the library database search box to start looking for information?
  2. What are some ways you can limit your results?
  3. How do you break down your research question?
  4. What Boolean operator narrows your search?
  5. What Boolean operator expands your search?