If you feel confused by all the technological changes taking place, you are not alone. The electronic world grows and changes at a rapid rate and many feel overwhelmed. There is hope in the midst of this digital maze. By following these simple principles of research, your confidence will grow, and what you learn in your first searches will help you become successful in your future use of databases.
Vague searches yield vague results.
Read a survey article, and become familiar with the major authors, issues, and vocabulary of your topic. Be prepared to narrow or broaden your topic. Write a clear sentence that defines your topic and expresses relationships among key terms. Learning how to combine several terms together will help you develop good research skills. List keywords, phrases and synonyms that relate to your topic.