In legal research, what are "keywords" used for?

Keywords play a crucial role in legal research as they are essential for retrieving relevant legal documents from various databases. When a researcher input keywords into a legal research platform, the system uses these specific terms to search through vast databases of case law, statutes, regulations, legal journals, and other resources. The effectiveness of the search results largely depends on the choice and specificity of the keywords used, making them an integral part of the research process.

By selecting appropriate keywords, legal professionals can pinpoint documents that are most likely to contain relevant information pertaining to their legal questions or issues. This strategic use of language helps streamline the research process and improves the chances of finding pertinent case law or legal principles that support a particular argument or legal strategy. This function of keywords significantly enhances efficiency, enabling legal professionals to focus on analyzing the documents that matter most.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately reflect the primary purpose of keywords in legal research. Although keywords may indirectly help summarize or classify information by retrieving relevant documents, their main function is directly linked to the retrieval process itself.