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How to Choose Keywords for Research Paper Writing

How to choose keywords in research paper
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You may think that after drafting an article targeted for submission to a specific journal, figuring out how to write keywords in research paper will be the easiest part. But that is not true, in fact, publishing an article requires a lot of work, not only research based, but for the preparation of the manuscript itself. You need to deal with formatting, follow guidelines, and make sure that all the basic requirements are met, and finally decide which journal is the best fit and how to choose keywords in research papers to make sure your article is found by the appropriate audience. And let me tell you that as a reviewer and editor with way too many years of experience, more than 90% of authors slip up when writing keywords in research papers and find this a challenging task. And I will tell you why this mistake is so common and how to write keywords in a research paper effectively. 

What are keywords in a research paper?

Keywordsin research papers are words that help online search engines and indexes tag papers in the most relevant manner. The purpose of keywords in research paper is to ensure these databases and search engines quickly identify and show your manuscript to users looking for related topics, thereby enabling readers to find your work easily 

The importance of keywords in research papers

Let us put this into context by starting with the definition of keywords in research papers. Keywords are words that define the research field or topic and are used to make your paper more discoverable to others. Perhaps this is more related to semantics, but keywords are different from key words. All journals will tell you that these are used for indexing purposes. So, what’s indexing? It refers to the process used to make articles discoverable in databases so that more readers can find, read, and cite your article. Considering that most search engines, online research databases, and journal websites organize information in a manner that enables a super-fast response to a query, adding keywords in research papers and indexing are essential to identify your work. Now that you understand the importance of keywords in research papers, you will realize that keywords are not just a list of key words. 

How to select keywords for research papers correctly  

To get this process right, you can follow these steps and tips to understand how to find keywords for your research papers. 

  1. First, try that not all keywords are used in the title. Concise titles will attract more readers. But most importantly, the title is the main indexing source because it is the main input to databases. Adding alternative keywords to the title will increase your searchability. 
  2. Think of the research field or subfield covered in your article, readers will search for these. Also, focus on key terms that are most relevant to your work and not something that was barely covered in your article. 
  3. Use synonyms but do it effectively. If the title uses degradation of a pollutant using microorganisms, then you can use bioremediation as the keyword in research papers; even chemical elements can be used whether the symbol or name has been used in the title. If you are discussing genes (or their protein counterpart) and it is an essential part of your research, chances are you will mention the gene symbol in the title, then provide the full name as a keyword in research papers. Species names can be replaced by their common name. 
  4. As you may know, most journals require a subscription to access the full content of articles. Yet most abstracts of publications are easily accessible when you use various search engines such as Google Scholar. So, if you use keywords in the abstract of your research paper, it will also improve the chances of readers finding and reading the full manuscript, even citing it in their own work. 
  5. Be specific by avoiding long phrases. Most journals would ask that keywords in research papers remain between one to three words. Avoiding conjunctions such as “and” is also recommended. 
  6. Only use abbreviations or acronyms that are quite common and well-known. By common abbreviations I mean not only those known by your field of expertise but also to the general audience, such as hplc, qPCR, CCTV, DNA or RNA, AI, etc. But if the abbreviation is used in the title, then use the definition as a keyword. 
  7. Finally, avoid using vague terms/expressions such as “treatment” or “technology” as a keyword in research papers; this will not send your article to page one when others are conducting a search on the same topic. You can for example use “cancer treatment” or even better, add the cancer type “liver cancer treatment” or the approach “cancer nanotechnology” or “nanotechnology medical applications.” 

Now that you know the importance of keywords in research paper, go ahead and create keywords that will give your article a major boost! 

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