ENGL 3345 Literature and the Examined Life: Incarceration in Youth Literature
A Note About Keywords
While searching in the databases, it is likely that you will com across outdated and/or offensive terminology. Because most databases use a controlled vocabulary it can be very difficult for them to keep up with evolving terminology.
In this case, looking for author-supplied keywords may provide you with better search terms. Author-supplied keywords can usually be found at the beginning of an academic paper. Or by viewing the detailed record* of an article.
*Not sure how the find the detailed record? Use the chat bubble in the corner of the screen to get help!
Looking for keywords?
To maximize your search results, try some of the keyword combinations below
- Incarceration and justice, in general
- Possible keywords: imprisonment, correctional institutions, criminal justice system, mass incarceration, racism in criminology, restorative justice, transitional justice
- Possible keywords: imprisonment, correctional institutions, criminal justice system, mass incarceration, racism in criminology, restorative justice, transitional justice
- Immigrant detention and internment camps
- Possible keywords: extrajudicial detention, detention facilities, undocumented immigrants, immigration detention centers, emigration & immigration, concentration camps, social control
- Possible keywords: extrajudicial detention, detention facilities, undocumented immigrants, immigration detention centers, emigration & immigration, concentration camps, social control
- Adolescents in the criminal justice system
- Possible keywords: juvenile delinquency, juvenile offenders, juvenile correctional facilities, delinquent youths, at-risk youth, teenagers, juvenile courts
- Possible keywords: juvenile delinquency, juvenile offenders, juvenile correctional facilities, delinquent youths, at-risk youth, teenagers, juvenile courts
- Parental incarceration
- Keyword ideas: children of criminals, children of prisoners, parent imprisonment, incarcerated parents, social bonds, parent-child relationships
Tips for Using Keywords
Create a Search Strategy
The most efficient way to search in a database is to use the words AND, OR, and NOT to define relationships between keywords and phrases. Learning how to use these operators ensure that you will be able to quickly find articles that are most appropriate for your topic.
AND - combines terms and narrows results. The database must find all of the keywords and phrases in an article in order to return results.
OR - identifies alternate terms and expands results. The database will return results with any (or both) of the keywords in the record.
NOT - subtracts results containing the NOT term, narrowing the results. The database will search for articles containing the first time, then remove results that contain the NOT term.
Use "OR" to maximize your search results
Using the boolean operator OR can make searching in the databases quicker and easier, but you have to format the search correctly.
- Open an advanced search in your chosen database (many databases default to advanced search)
- Enter your keywords leaving the operator box set to AND
- Add alternate terms to the appropriate box using OR between each term (you can add as many terms as you'd like)
- Click "Search" and evaluate your results
Expand your Keyword List
Look for additional keywords in:
- Abstracts/Summaries even if the article is not relevant to your research, it may provide terms common to the field or other term related to your research.
- Book Indexes are basically keywords lists that help you navigate information in a physical book.
- "Suggested Topics" or "Related Searches" in databases and Google Scholar. Often these can help you rephrase terminology into the "official" database subject"