Video created by NCSU Libraries.License, credits, and contact information can be found at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/picking_topic/.
As you are reading sources and refining your topic, write words and phrases that you could use to find more information on your topic. Search terms can be the names of people, important events or legislation related to your topic. There may be a preferred term or label used to describe your topic.
To collect keywords, subject terms, topic language, and research ideas, you might: