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How can a thesaurus help when I form queries? Many searchers use a thesaurus (traditional or online) to generate an initial keyword list of synonyms. By using a thesaurus, you will often find new meanings that simply wouldn't have occurred to you otherwise. There are a number of well-designed online systems that will help you plumb the depths of a word's meaning.

 The IMSA Thesaurus tool ( http://21cif.imsa.edu/nym )prompts you to browse through word meanings as you look for the right keywords.

 Thesaurus.com ( http://thesaurus.reference.com ) has an online thesaurus that offers in-depth suggestions, classified by concept. The site has many language tools including a dictionary, language translator, and a dictionary toolbar.

Plumb Design offers a unique online Visual Thesaurus that prompts the user to work in 3-dimensions as they explore word meanings. ( http://www.visualthesaurus.com/online/index.html )

How can I quickly find synonyms as I search?
One of the best ways to find synonyms is to look in the documents returned by your first query. Pay attention to an author's use of professional vocabulary. You may see words that more precisely describe just what you are looking for. Also some search engines will refine your query by suggesting alternate keywords along with the results of your
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