Useful tools: dictionaries and thesauri
If you are not yet familiar with the terminology of your subject, you could use a number of useful tools for thinking up search terms:
General dictionaries
- General dictionaries
- Subject-oriented dictionaries (on a specific field)
- Bilingual dictionaries (for searching in a different language)
- general translation dictionaries such as the Van Dale Dictionaries
- free online dictionaries or the translation function in Google
- subject-oriented bilingual dictionaries such as dutch legal terminology in English
- subject-oriented dictionaries in other languages such as Dictionary of international trade : handbook of the global trade community
Thesauri
A thesaurus is a list of words in which synonyms and related terms for these words are grouped together. Using a thesaurus is therefore a good way of finding new search terms.
A term such as fine art refers to the broader term art, but also to the narrow terms painting and photography.
Further information on the thesauri and examples can be found at Thesauri and Classification Charts.
‘Pearl-growing method’
Choose an article or book that corresponds well to your question and use the information you find in this to continue searching. More on this can be found at Pearl growing.
