Before you start, you'll want to plan out a search strategy. Think about the research question you're trying to answer and brainstorm a list of possible keywords.
- What terms best describe the information you're looking for?
- What kinds of sources do you need?
Taking time to articulate exactly what kind of information you need before you start looking will help you retrieve more focused, relevant results. To walk through the process of developing a search strategy, check out the example below!

As you apply these strategies to your own topics, try to brainstorm as many possible synonyms and related ideas for your search terms as possible. If you aren't getting good results with the first keywords you try, consider other ways of expressing the main ideas in your topic. If you are still struggling, you can always reach out to a librarian for help!