Keywords Cloud

Before searching for articles in databases, prepare appropriate keywords and search terms. Keywords should accurately describe the research topic of interest. Some databases use a controlled vocabulary that unifies different words with the same meaning into one search term. The best example of a controlled vocabulary is the list of terms defined underMedical Subject Headings (MeSH).The MeSH vocabulary was created by the NLM and was initially used to index articles for Medline and PubMed.

CHOOSING APPROPRIATE KEYWORDS FOR YOUR MANUSCRIPT

1. Include your techniques and/or specific methodology. Ex.: X-ray crystallography, Immunohistochemistry, Real-time PCR.

2. Focus on the main topic of your research. Keywords selected should not be too long but also not too short.

3. Avoid overlapping keywords in your title and those in your keyword list.

4. Follow the journal guidelines when selecting keywords. Most journals and clinical papers specifically recommend a list of terms drawn from the U.S. National Library of Medicine's collection of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).

5. Perform keyword research before submitting your article.