Why do I need to provide five concepts when running a Concept Search?

Short Answer: Entering at least five concepts ensures your results are both broad enough to capture all relevant variations in terminology and precise enough to avoid an overload of irrelevant data.

1. Covers Varied Terminology
   Different states may describe the same policy idea using multiple phrases. For instance, if you’re researching “gig economy worker rights,” one state might say “rideshare worker benefits,” while another says “independent contractor protections.” Having multiple concepts (at least five) increases the odds of catching these nuances.

2. Reduces “False Positives”
   A single, overly generic concept (like “education”) might bring back huge numbers of mismatched results (e.g., preschool, higher ed, teacher certification). By adding more specific concepts—“charter school funding,” “voucher programs,” “parental rights,” “public school tax credits,” etc.—you narrow the scope of what the AI deems relevant.

3. Captures Different Facets of the Topic
   Complex policy areas often involve multiple subtopics. For renewable energy, you might consider “solar incentives,” “wind subsidies,” “carbon emission limits,” “tax credits for businesses,” “residential renewable rebates.” Each concept captures a different angle, which together form a more complete picture of what you’re searching for.

4. Improves AI Accuracy
   ScholarsEdge’s AI identifies overlapping themes across those concepts. The more varied but related the concepts, the better the AI can triangulate which legislation truly aligns with your topic. Having at least five ensures a richer data set.

5. Saves You Time
   By helping the AI hone in on the right legislative text, you spend less time sifting through irrelevant items and can quickly zero in on the laws, regulations, or bills that truly matter.

If you’re investigating worker protections in the gig economy, a single concept like “gig economy” might be too general and yield discussions on everything from rideshare data privacy to app regulations. By including multiple concepts—“gig economy,” “freelancer wage protections,” “rideshare labor laws,” “independent contractor classification,” and “platform worker benefits”—you ensure your search covers the full scope of what “worker protections” might entail in different states, without getting swamped by loosely related material.

Bottom line: At least five concepts helps ScholarsEdge balance comprehensiveness (capturing varied language) with relevance (filtering out off-topic documents).