First, organize your research topic into concepts. Concepts are typically nouns or noun phrases.
Using a databases' Advanced Search, enter each concept and its synonyms into a separate search line.
Use quotation marks around phrases, these are typically noun phrases that you would find a definition of in a dictionary.
Use * for truncation.
Limit to peer-reviewed articles if necessary.
Limit by date if necessary.
Too many or too few results?
Find an article that looks interesting?
Use Boolean logic to add multiple synonyms or related terms. Boolean logic includes AND, OR, and NOT. This is easiest to do on the Advanced Search page when each keyword from your research statement has its own search box.
Example Search
Definitions
AND - Narrows a search
OR - Expands a search
NOT - Removes a term from a search
Spelling: Spelling counts. If you spell a word incorrectly, you will only bring up other incorrectly spelled words. If there are multiple spellings of a term, use all of them.
Help Screens and Tutorials: Learn to read and use help screens - they are the keys to being able to search effectively.
Capitalization: Use lowercase to match words in either upper or lowercase. For exact matches (usually in the case of proper names, like New York), use uppercase.
Evaluate: Know your sources for information. Who is the author or the organization represented? Be critical and double check information.
You may be asked to explore a journal that has been published for 75 years or more. Here's how.