Our Topic, Guns and Youth Violence contains three terms, Guns, Youth and Violence.

Step one- think of all the terms which can be used as synonyms for our original terms.  For example,

• Guns--firearms or weapons
• Youth -- juveniles or adolescents
• Violence --attack, abuse, murder, etc.

Step two - Check the National Criminal Justice Thesaurus (located at the Dewey Graduate Library, Call # REF Z 695.1 C84 U54 A 1998).This will tell you what other terms are used to describe your topic.

The following is an excerpt from the National Criminal Justice Thesaurus.  The main term or phrase is Gun Control. Phrases or terms that are designated RT are terms that are related to the main term.  BT means the terms are broader in scope than the main term and NT designates a term that is narrower in scope or concept than the main term or phrase.

When using a thesarus select the terms that most precisely match your concept.  If you find too much information select a narrower term.  If you find too little information select a broader term.

It is also wise to consult a criminal justice dictionary.  This resource will tell us what the difference is between a gun and a firearm.  We can also find out what precisely makes a weapon a gun or a handgun.

HINT: Keep a record of all terms which are potentially useful  You may need them later if you refocus or broaden or narrow your topic.