You will generally be given three key pieces of information:

1. The key topic or concept words direct you in what to research.
2. The limits or qualifiers tell you the specific focus of the topic or concept.
3. The task or instruction terms tell how you are to deal with the content. Charles Sturt has a list of explanations for common instruction words.

The first thing is to make sure you clearly understand the assessment task and what topic you are seeking information for, this is called topic analysis. Check your assessment task details in your Subject Outline. 

With an understanding of your assessment task you then need to plan how you will search for information. This starts with identifying instruction words, refiners/limiters and keywords and sometimes expanding that list to include synonyms or related terms.  

Example:

Note: When working through the activities and searches in this guide please feel free to replace the examples provided with your own topic analysis keywords.

Using synonyms can assist by broadening your search, thereby helping you locate appropriate and relevant information resources. You can identify alternate keywords or synonyms, like those listed below, that may be useful during your information searching process by looking in general dictionaries.

For example, some alternate keywords for the concepts we identified above might include:

• Emergency workers = paramedic, ambulance officer, emergency personnel
• Prehospital care = Prehospital emergency medicine, prehospital trauma care, paramedicine, immediate care.
• Ethics = conduct, integrity, standards, "ethical issue"

Keyword Activity

Write down the key concepts from your chosen assignment topic and have a go at brainstorming as many alternative keywords and phrases as possible.

Thinking about your topic in this way forces you to describe your topic in "other words", which will provide you with some useful keyword alternatives as well as help you to cement your understanding of the topic.

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias can help you to find additional keywords and get an overview of the concept.