Begin with a general idea of your topic then look for information to help you focus on specific concepts, generate keywords for your searches, and narrow down the topic. In this part of the process you're browsing and doing a little reading to get familiar with the topic and generate ideas.
Once you are familiar with your topic and you're ready to start searching for resources it's time to identify the keywords you'll use to find your sources.
Research question: Is there value in a liberal arts degree?
Find synonyms for your main concepts:
Liberal Arts = humanities, arts, social sciences, general education
Degree = education, major, undergraduate, graduate
Find specific words that relate to qualifying concepts:
Value = knowledge, skills, characteristics, employers, businesses, salaries, debt, loans, jobs, income