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.: chinatown and new york

OR - used between synonyms or related terms, broadens search by supplying more options  ex.: food or cuisine; globalization or globalisation

NOT - excludes terms from search, narrows and focuses search   ex.: fish not meat

TRUNCATION - symbol used at end of word or word part to retrieve variant word endings; adds flexibility and depth to your search  ex: sociolog* retrieves: sociology, sociologist, sociological, etc.

PHRASE SEARCHING - use quotes around phrases. ex.: "asian american"

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 record all your searches and keep track of your research progress.