The power of key words

Key words can give you a quick overview of any topic 

By identifying the key words in what you are reading, you can grasp the main idea of the text. 

The key words help you navigate through the information and focus on the most relevant points. This will ultimately save you time AND improve your marks!

Key words act as signposts that lead you to the information you need. When searching for specific information in a document or on the internet, using key words can help you find relevant sources quickly. By identifying and using the right key words, you can streamline your research process and save time.

How do I find the key words?

Depending on what you are reading, you can underline or highlight words you see frequently within the text, or you could even copy and paste the text (or a section of the text like the Abstract) and ask ChatGTP to give you the keywords. 

However, the current version of ChatGTP is not as good as you might be at finding the words that help you understand the point of the text. It may give you a list of 40 high-frequency words that might not represent the overall meaning of the text. This can be confusing or even misleading. 

When reading for research purposes or answering questions based on a piece of writing, it is good practice to always read it more than once. The first time, simply read the text to get a feel for the content. On the second pass, you can then start to highlight key words and phrases. On the third pass, make brief notes, perhaps using bullet-points, of your initial ideas and impressions. You can then add to individual notes later, when you have a good overview and understanding of the text. This is even a great approach for medium to long exam questions!

Remember to do one step at a time, and it will save you time in the end but giving you a better understanding and base of notes to work from!

To find the key words:

Develop your own way of marking the key words or phrases you pick out and use that for all texts in the future

How do I use the key words I find?

By identifying the key words used, you can gain a better understanding of the thrust of the text, the author's perspective, the main arguments being presented, and the overall tone. 

The key words can help you interpret and analyse information more effectively, and identify the methods used in a research project.

Conversely, in your own writing, key words provide a framework that helps you organise your thoughts. If you know what key words you want or need to include in a piece of writing, this helps you to communicate your ideas clearly and concisely. 

Key words help you to communicate complex concepts in a simplified manner and ensure that your message is understood. Key words can also act as hooks that capture the attention of your reader. Whether you are writing for a wide audience online, or for a school project, these are both important points.

Identifying key words is important for understanding, retrieving, communicating, and analysing information. 

Key words help you to navigate long pieces of text, focus on the relevant aspects, and communicate your ideas clearly and effectively.

Using the power of key words will give you the confidence to know that you are on the right track with your answer.

 Identifying the key words in a question will give you a good idea of what the question is asking you about, and what you need to write to tick all of the examiner’s boxes and get the best marks you can.

Students often feel pressure in an exam to get through it and finish as quickly as possible. Many students dive straight into writing their answers after only scanning each question. It is incredibly painful for a teacher to mark someone’s incorrect answer, when they know the student could have answered it really well if they had answered the correct question! Often, they have not read the question properly, or rushed into the answer and they have gone off down the wrong track. 

Taking the time to understand a question and plan your answer is never lost time in an exam

Identifying key words during an exam can help you understand the question more clearly and answer it correctly than just starting to write your answer straight away. Here are some steps to help you identify key words in exam questions:

1. Read the question carefully: Take your time to read the question thoroughly and think about what it is asking. How does it relate to what you have been learning in class?

2. Identify the main topic: Determine the central theme or subject of the question. What is the question focusing on? This will give you a starting point for identifying key words related to the topic.

3. Underline or highlight important words: As you read the question, pick out the words or phrases that are crucial for understanding and answering it. Have you seen these key words recently in class? What were you learning about at the time?

4. Pay attention to question words: Question words such as "why," "how," "what," "describe," or "compare" give clues about how to answer the question. 

5. Look out for words that give you an idea about how much to write: For example, words like "outline," "describe," or "explain" require different amounts of writing and detail. Use these words and the amount of marks allocated for each question to judge how much you need to write.

6. Review your identified key words: Once you have identified key words, check them to make sure they do represent the main topic of the question and they are familiar to you. They should never be something you haven’t seen before. You will not be tested on something that you haven't prepared for in class!

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