Basic Search Tips
Unlike Google, library databases can't understand an entire sentence. So you'll need to break your topic down into the most important ideas - the KEYWORDS.
Example Topic: What effect does social media have on mental health?
The specifics of your topic will matter when selecting sources, but you only need the most essential components for searching.
Keywords: social media, mental health
Most words have synonyms that mean the same, or very similar, things. For each keyword in your topic, try to come up with at least one synonym. Not all keywords will have synonyms, but many do!
Example:
Keep an Eye Out
*Sometimes scholars use terms that you might not be familiar with, or that might mean something very specific within the discipline. While searching, look for unfamiliar terms or words that show up a lot. Try searching for those and see whether you find more relevant sources.
Watch the below video for help on how to evaluate your sources with the CRAAP test.
Advanced Search Tips
Use the operator AND to find only sources that mention both keywords.
social media AND mental health
This search will bring back fewer results than searching either keyword on its own.
Use the OR operator to expand your search with additional keywords.
mental health OR anxiety
This search will find sources that include either word, so you'll see more results by searching for just one keyword.
Use the “QUOTES” strategy to search for several words in a phrase.
"social media"
"mental health"
This search will bring back results that only use that exact phrase.