Q: What is the importance of keywords in a research paper?

Literature search is an important part of research writing. When you conduct a literature search online, you should be able to dig out relevant published articles. The purpose of keywords in a research paper is to help other researchers find your paper when they are conducting a search on the topic. Keywords define the field, subfield, topic, research issue, etc. that are covered by the article. Most electronic search engines, databases, or journal websites use keywords to decide whether and when to display your paper to interested readers. Keywords make your paper searchable and ensure that you get more citations. Thus, it is important to include the most relevant keywords that will help other authors find your paper.

You can read the following articles for further guidance:

• Why do journals ask for keywords?
• How to create keywords for a research paper
• How to write an effective title and abstract and choose appropriate keywords