Finding the best articles on your topic requires these steps.

• Select an appropriate database.
• Enter and combine terms appropriate to your topic
• Scan the best items on the results list and look for new subject terms or keywords. Then revise your search using these new terms.
• Save the journal title, volume, date, and page numbers.  This is all part of the "citation". 
• Explore other databases and subject terms (which vary between databases) for more information.

Steps for building your search strategy

1. Write out your topic in the form of a research question.
2. Identify the main concepts of your topic
3. Brainstorm synonyms for each concept

Next Steps

1. Paste the above search statement into the database of your choice
2. Scan the best items on the results list and look for new subject terms or keywords. Then revise your search using these new terms.
3. Explore other databases and subject terms (which vary between databases) for more information.

Phrase Searching

For most databases, use quotation marks around a phrase to force the words to be in that order.

For example: “mental health” instead of: mental health

Truncation

Retrieve items with various word endings and spellings

Usually the symbol is an asterisk (*)

For example: child* will find child, children, or childish

Limiting

Many databases have advanced limiting features relevant to the subject

Check for limiting by year, publication type, gender, education level or age groups.