A keyword is a search term that conveys the principle concept of your topic - the more complicated the topic is, the more keywords you may need
State your research topic as a question or a thesis statement
Start your list of search terms using the words in the question/statement
For example, for the question
“What effect did the Carpetbaggers have on the economy of the southern United States after the Civil War?”
sample search terms are “carpetbaggers” “Civil War" "south" "United States" and “economy”
Think about the significant terms, concepts and words that describe your topic - these ideas are the key to searching for information in library catalogs, online databases and other resources
If the words you chose aren't working, try synonyms