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Academic writing is an essential component of research work, and one of the most critical elements is identifying the right keywords for scientific papers. As an author, you will want to ensure that your work is found, read, and cited by as many people as possible. But with the sharp increase in research output around the world, this is not always easy. This is where using keywords in research articles become invaluable, because online search results are directly related to which keywords you have chosen and how you have used it in your writing.
Keywords are words or phrases (of 2-4 words) that provide information about your research; it allows search engines to sift through the large amounts of information available online to highlight your work. Hence, if you’ve chosen and used the right keywords in research articles, it will help readers locate your work when searching for relevant content. However, many authors neglect this step due to a paucity of time or a lack of understanding on how to effectively choose and use keywords in research articles. In this article, we outline a simple step-by-step process to create the most effective keywords for scientific papers.
Step 1: Check your target journal’s guidelines
Most leading international journals have standard author instructions that describe the number of keywords allowed and sometimes even offer a predetermined list of keywords for scientific papers that authors can choose from. Journals usually require about 3-8 keywords, so it’s important to have at least 4-5 effective keywords for scientific papers. This is a good thumb rule to follow if you’ve not finalized your target journal. Depending on the requirements of your specific journal, you can add more keywords in your research article but don’t leave this too late.
Step 2: Examine your research question or topic
Keywords in research articles are designed to help readers locate your paper easily, so it is essential to choose the most relevant words that capture the essence of your research question or topic. That being said, it is advised not to use exact terms from the title of your research paper as keywords. For instance, if the main research question is, “What are the effects of social networks on mental well-being?”, the keywords for your scientific paper could be “social media” and “mental health.” These keywords are important because they are the most relevant to the research topic.
Step 3: Generate a broad list of related terms
Once you have pinned down the main research question or topic, the next step is to generate a list of related terms. Related terms are words or phrases that are related to the main keywords in research articles and are frequently used in the specific field of research. For example, related terms for the main keywords “social media” and “mental health” could be “social networking,” “cyberbullying,” “depression,” “anxiety,” and “self-esteem.” It’s important to note down these terms because they help to broaden the scope of your research paper and make it more discoverable to a wider audience.
Step 4: Evaluate and refine your keywords
After generating a list of potential keywords for the scientific paper, the next step is to evaluate and refine them for your study. You need to carefully consider the relevance, specificity, and uniqueness when shortlisting the most useful keywords to use in your research article.
- Relevance: The keywords you choose should be relevant to your research topic. They should accurately describe the focus of your paper and be helpful to readers searching for content related to your topic. Think from the reader’s perspective and ask yourself what keywords they would use and what could help them discover your article.
- Specificity: The keywords in research articles should be specific to your research topic. They should not be too broad or general, as this may make it difficult for readers to locate your paper. If your paper focuses on a particular region, experimental design, applications, or phenomena consider using these as keywords.
- Uniqueness: Your main keywords should be unique to the contents of your research paper. Consider using variants of terms or phrases that readers are likely to use. Remember, using generic or overused keywords may result in your paper being buried under a large number of search results.
Step 5: Use keywords in scientific papers correctly
Finally, once you have identified the keywords for your research article, it is essential to use them effectively in your paper. Apart from the main keywords, include words and phrases that are closely related to your topic, including acronyms, abbreviations, or full forms of shortened words. Adding keywords in research articles is key to making your research more discoverable, so be thoughtful and strategic in your approach.
Repeat important keywords in research articles to reinforce their significance, especially in the title, abstract and introduction sections to make it easier for readers to quickly find and understand your work. While adding keywords throughout your paper, avoid overusing or stuffing keywords into text in an unnatural way or it could impact the quality of your writing. Finally, remember that identifying effective keywords for scientific papers should be a priority, not an afterthought so make time to choose keywords for your scientific paper with care.
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