Here are some general tips to guide you in choosing your search terms:
- Use a single word (librarians like to call them keywords) or very brief phrases (2 words together in "quotation marks") instead of sentences -- one or two for each part of your topic. Concepts and other nouns usually work best.
- Keep in mind any special terminology used to describe what you are researching.
- Notice what kinds of results you get (and if they are relevant!) and adjust your search accordingly.
If your keywords aren't turning up many results:
- Try thinking of synonyms or other ways of phrasing your topic.
- Try a broader search (ex - broader topic).
- Try a different database.
