There are lots of strategies for searching in databases and filtering your search results!
Each database has slightly different options, but to get the most relevant results, consider doing these things:
Brainstorm keywords
- use synonyms or related terms, such as "social media" or "social networking", to get the best results
Use filters (usually located in left sidebar)
- limit publication date to a specific range, such as the last ten years
- limit source type to certain sources, like books, e-books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and more
- limit language to English if needed, or intentionally limit to Spanish or other foreign languages
Pay attention to access options (usually located below each search result)
- PDF Full Text means you can immediately access and read the article PDF
- HTML Full Text also means you can immediately access the article, but as a basic text-only version
- Search for Full Text means you need to click the link to open a second window, then click one of the Go To Full Text options to connect to a database that contains the article's full text
- Search for Full Text through LinkSource means you'll go directly to the publisher's website
