Keywords
After you have formed your research thesis, brainstorm Search Terms. These are the words that you will use to search the databases. For example, when researching Did Shakespeare's portrayal of women promote equality? keywords = Shakespeare, women, equality.
Synonyms
When searching for articles, it is important to think about different terminology. For example, an author writing about Shakespearean women may only use the words "female characters" and "gender roles." If you don't try different search terms, you may miss out on some great articles!
AND, OR, NOT
AND -results must include both words: Iraq AND War
OR -results can contain either of the words: Children OR Adolescents
NOT -results include one word and not the other: Global NOT Warming
Limit your Search
Databases all have ways to limit how you search them. This could be searching by Title, Author or Publication Date. Another great way to search is by Subject, sometimes called Descriptors or Subject Terms.