Select a research topic or research question. Break it down into keywords. Do some brainstorming of search terms!
Think of synonyms and related terms, as well as broader terms and narrower terms. Review your syllabus, assignment instructions, textbook(s), and readings to identify search terms.
Possible terms to include in your searches for sources:
Budget, budgeting, consequences, costs, data, disparities, economy, economic, effectiveness, financial, financing, funding, government, government policy, history, historical, impact, inequality, initiatives, laws, legal, legislation, policy, policies, poor, poverty, problems, programs, public policy, recommendations, regulations, risks, social costs, solutions, statistics, strategies, United States, U.S., America, American, Ohio, Cleveland, Cleveland Ohio, Northeast Ohio, Cuyahoga County, city, cities, urban, communities. The possibilities are endless!
When searching for information, you will try different keywords and combinations of terms! Be patient and persistent!
Here are some keywords as examples:
Affordable housing AND United States
Crime prevention AND policies AND United States
Food insecurity AND Ohio
Homelessness AND Cleveland Ohio
Opioid epidemic AND costs
Capital punishment OR death penalty
Drugs OR medicine OR medications OR prescriptions
Poor OR poverty OR low income
Try nesting your search terms:
Artificial intelligence AND (jobs OR employment OR unemployment OR labor market)
Criminal justice reform AND (police OR law enforcement OR cops OR public safety)
Identify additional keywords by reviewing your search results, particularly the SUBJECTS assigned to items and the ABSTRACTS of articles.