No matter what database you use to locate materials for your research, there are certain strategies that you can use in designing your searches, which will help you conduct effective searches on your research topic.
AND - combines terms; narrows and focuses search ex.: rural and poverty
OR - used between synonyms or related terms, broadens search by supplying more options ex.: farmland or pastoral
NOT - excludes terms from search, narrows and focuses search ex.: rural not urban
TRUNCATION - symbol used at end of word or word part to retrieve variant word endings; adds flexibility and depth to your search ex: geograph? retrieves: geography, geographer, geographic, geographical, etc.
It is good practice to keep track of your searches, what worked for you, and what didn't. It'll save you a lot of time, and a lot of duplication of effort. Use this research log template to keep track of your research progress.
Research Log Template
