Keep phrases intact as you search. That way, if you search "New Mexico" you'll get results about the state, rather than random results that contain "new" and "mexico." This also works for "criminal justice system," or "social justice."
From PubMed Central:
This search will return health and medical articles (because it's being done in PubMed Central) about infants in New Mexico, not new infants or Mexico infants.
Most databases default to a "basic search."
If you use the Advanced Search option, you can break up concepts in order to easily edit and keep track of keyword combinations. Here's an example from Gale eBooks. I am searching (and entering quotation marks) for "new mexico" and "water supply." That way, I can try synonyms of "water supply," such as "water table" or "water conservation."
You can also change the option in the dropdown menu:
Limiters appear once you do your initial search. They help you narrow down your search results.
Here's an example of Publication Date and Descriptor limiters from the database ERIC (U.S. Dept of Ed):
Many databases have included tools to help you research, like citation generators and an email option to send yourself an article.
Science.gov:
PubMed Central:
Google Scholar:
Time-consuming. I always think it will go faster than it actually does! Give yourself as much time as you can, not only to ease your stress, but also to read what you find and to follow your curiosity. If you're rushed, it's harder to find the patterns within the research. Slow down, take notes, and save your sources. One nice way to save your sources is to make a doc, paste in the citation, and write a note under the citation about your thoughts on the content of the source. This is called an annotated bibliography.