Keyword Searching

Developing a keyword search strategy is the basis of searching for specific information to use in your research project. With a keyword search strategy, you break down your research question into specific parts and translate them into a query that can be used in a database of your choice.

Standard Practice

Building a Keyword Search
Combine synonyms and boolean operators into a relevant query

AI Assist

Help Refining Your Draft Query
Use AI to suggest improvements for your draft query

Recap Standard Practice: Building a Keyword Search

When developing keyword searches for an academic database you should combine multiple synonyms with Boolean operators to create a query to search in a database of your choice. Following this process step-by-step is crucial to make sure you do a thorough search of all available literature

Warning

AI is a great partner in the exploratory phase of the literature review, but using AI as your only source for conducting your literature search is problematic; The tools as of yet do not provide the same thorough and reproducible output that a well-structured keyword search will.

Watch this short recap of the keyword search process:

AI Assist: Help Refining Your Draft Query

To support the keyword searching process, you can use Copilot, or another general purpose tool to augment a keyword search. For example, you can ask it for additional synonyms as you are developing your draft keyword search.

While general tools can develop queries from scratch, it is recommended to draft an initial query yourself, and give it your initial search query, to provide the AI with some direction and come up with a better query.

Example Prompt

I am a [x year] student in [study]. I am working on a literature review paper on [topic]. I want to search [database] for research articles on [research question]. My current query is: [draft query]. Expand the keywords and design a more constructive query.

Guided Activity: Help Refining Your Draft Query

Use this activity to practice using general AI tools to refine your keyword search

Step 1: Write Your Initial Keyword Search

Based on your research question, create a first attempt at a keyword search.

Step 2: Prompt the Tools

Select one or more general AI tools (for example):

• Copilot

• Claude

• ChatGPT

Use a structured prompt to guide the tool.

Example prompt to copy-paste into the general purpose tool:

I am a [x year] student in [study]. I am working on a literature review paper on [topic]. I want to search [database] for research articles on [research question]. My current query is: [draft query]. Expand the keywords and design a more constructive query.

Fill in the brackets with your own information.

Step 3: Compare and Reflect

Look at the expanded list of keywords or revised query suggested by the tool.

1. Which new synonyms or related terms did it add?

2. Are there subject-specific or technical terms you hadn’t thought of?

3. Which suggestions are useful, and which might lead you away from your topic?

Summary and Prompts

Task	Standard Practice	AI Assist	Tools	Example Prompts
Develop a keyword search	Combine keywords to create a search query to use in academic databases	Ask general AI-tools to help refine the query	General tools, e.g. Copilot, Claude, Gemini	I am a [x year] student in [study]. I am working on a literature review paper on [topic]. I want to search [database] for research articles on [research question]. My current query is: [draft query]. Expand the keywords and design a more constructive query.

References

• TU Delft Library Education Support. (n.d.). Making a search plan. TUlib. Retrieved August 7, 2025, from https://www.tudelft.nl/tulib/searching-resources/making-a-search-plan

• Zhao, A. (n.d.). LibGuides: Emerging AI Tools for Literature Review: Overview. Retrieved June 17, 2025, from https://libguides.hkust.edu.hk/AI-tools-literature-review/overview