Most topics consist of two or more concepts. Developing effective search strategies depends upon identifying:

• the primary concept
• the secondary concepts
• the relationships between the concepts
• the keywords, synonyms, and related terms for each concept

One easy way to do this is to build a Concept Table. Building a Concept Table is a three-part process. To build your concept table:

1. analyze your thesis statement or organizing principle.
2. list the primary concept and secondary concepts.
3. list the key terms for each concept.

You can print a copy of a concept table form to use as you do your research.