What is the purpose of keywords text box in document properties in Word 2007? I assume you create keywords so that you can search for documents in files or folders later using keywords but I maybe wrong? If I am right? How do you begin a search in word using these keywords?
Purpose of keywords text box in document properties?(2 posts)
Hi ogb120, you are indeed right. The following is from The Open University. I think the keywords are for Windows searches, and not for Word. I could be wrong right enough.
Good quality metadata improves the efficiency of searching, making it easier to find relevant
Metadata also allows searching for documents that are non-text based, e.g. images and
multimedia, where the title may not contain all the desired terms that might be searched on.
How does Windows search work?
On Windows XP, the search gives results based on the order locations are searched in. If you
search for Documents, you can search on the file name; or on the contents of the document.
The contents include the body text and the properties. In this case, adding metadata is helpful
if additional, different terms are used to those found in the file name and body text.
How does the intranet search engine work?
• Metadata allows search engines to weight results, so documents containing properties
relevant to a search would be ranked higher in the search results. (The web pages
themselves should also contain metadata to help this.)
• The title specified in the properties box is what will be displayed in the search results. It
doesn’t matter if this is different to the title at the top of the page or the filename. Give
enough information in this title so it can be understood outside your filing system. Also, try
to be consistent with the title field between similar documents on the website, so results
• Adding additional keywords that aren’t in the properties title will help the search result
rankings, whether if those words appear in the text of the document or not. If the
properties title contains an acronym, consider spelling this out in the keywords. If there
are a number of related documents, use the same overarching keywords for all of them,
as well as specific keywords if necessary.
Records Management Best Practice Guidelines: How to fill in document properties
Sam Mansfield, University Records Manager May 2007
Library Livelink Enterprise: Information Management: Records Management: Guidelines: How
to fill in document properties
What do I need to do to my documents?
• To make document properties pop up automatically when a file is first saved, select
Tools, Options, Save and click Prompt for document properties.)
• Ensure the properties box contains a full and objective title for the document
• Add keywords that don’t appear in the title. Ideally, add keywords from the body text as
well as synonyms and other descriptive keywords that don’t appear in the text. Include the
full text of acronyms, and any codes or IDs that describe the document.
• Be objective. Use keyword terms that will be understood outside your team or
• Be selective. Use keywords that cover the whole subject of a document, and where you
will want that document to appear when someone does an intranet search for that word or
• Separate keywords or phrases with a semicolon.
• Ensure the author field is filled in, with either an individual or team, and include the unit
and section. To change the default contents of the “author” field, select Tools, Options,
• Ensure that the body of the document includes a date. The automatic date in the
properties is the date of initial creation and revision, not the date of finalisation or
NB If you are creating learning resources, then if applicable it would be helpful to include
keywords which cover the geographic coverage of the resource, e.g. The Netherlands;
and the temporal coverage of the resource, e.g. 500-300 BCE.
Add the language if the document is written in a language other than English.
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