Before you begin searching for books related to your topic, consider what search terms you are going to use. Not all books you are looking for may be catalogued under your topic, so it is helpful to make a "synonym list" of alternative search terms. (A "synonym" is a word that is similar to another word.)

Begin by underlining key words or phrases in your topic. Then, think of other possible words for each key word or phrase. For example, here are synonyms for one student's topic, gangs and communities: