Synonyms can be:
• Different spellings of same word eg. pediatrics OR paediatrics
• Similar meanings/concepts eg. Cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR neoplasm
To identify synonyms use:
• Thesauri and lists in a database
• Dictionaries (online dictionary available via credo)
• Encyclopaedias
• Talk to other people (lecturers, tutors, peer groups)
Synonyms for the keywords identified from the short example in Step One:
| Keyword 1 | Keyword 2 | Keyword 3 |
| Hand hygiene | Infection Control | Hospitals |
| Handwashing | Infection Protection | Hospice |
| Hand Disinfection | Cross infection control | Health Care Centres |
| Surgical Scrub | Communicable disease control | Health facility |
Here is a Search strategy work sheet to help you think through your keywords and synonyms, and record your search strategies.
We acknowledge the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and acknowledge Traditional Owners of the lands where our staff and students, live, learn and work.
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License. Content from this Guide should be attributed to James Cook University Library. This does not apply to images, third party material (seek permission from the original owner) or any logos or insignia belonging to JCU or other bodies, which remain All Rights Reserved.