Use each database's thesaurus or subject headings list to identify the best wording for your topic. 

Know the proper geographical terms, especially the words that would be used within the country you are studying. For instance, "Middle East" is an American term that may not be used by persons who live in Africa or Asia. In some databases (such as rhe ProQuest version of ERIC), you can specify a location in tandem with your search term(s). In the ProQuest version of ERIC, for example, you can search "LOC(Ghana)" to find articles about Ghana.

Similarly, education terminology may vary according to the location. For instance, in the United Kingdom and in other places that use British terminology, "early years" is sometimes used for "early childhood"; "maths" is sometimes used for "mathematics"; "special educational needs" or "SEN" is sometimes used for "special education"; and "further education" is sometimes used for "lifelong education."