ENG 101: Using Keywords to Explore a Topic

Read the article and write down any words that define the topic or describe ideas representing various aspects of the topic. The topic of gangs is too large to meaningfully explore in a short paper. The "Research Starter" article on gangs, titled "Gangs Debate" is very helpful as it offers many useful words that represent various aspects of the topic. Keywords from the "Gangs Debate" article include:

• violence, organized crime, homicide, gun violence, drug-trafficking, and firearm sales which relate to the criminal activity of gangs; 
• prison sentences, prison funding, and anti-loitering laws which relate to legislation addressing gangs;
• poverty, joblessness, and homelessness, relate to conditions that fuel gang membership;
• Project Safe Neighborhoods and GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training), examples of programs created to stem gang membership;
• social media which is related to communication of gang culture and activity.

Each of these grouped keywords offer potential ways to explore the larger topic of gangs.

Research Starter articles also offer a bibliography, which is a list of sources in the form of books, articles published in journals, magazines, newspapers, websites and digital files.