Start with a simple search
- gauge what information is available on the topic. Then you can refine your terms
Search your key concepts
- only search for the key concepts you have identified, not your whole assessment question
- avoid general terms like impact, characteristics or influence as they may not appear in the articles you need
- avoid using too many terms
Choose appropriate terms
- ensure your terms are not too broad or narrow
- e.g. for information on melting ice caps, a broad search on climate change will return many irrelevant results
Check your spelling
- databases often search exactly what you type in, including spelling mistakes
- search both British and American English variations, e.g. behaviour and behavior
Try alternative terms
- check titles, abstracts and subject terms of relevant articles for alternative search terms
- look at the references of these articles as well as the citations to find more papers
Use the right databases
- check the UNSW Library Subject Guides
Search for the right resource type
- be aware of the types of resources you are retrieving
- you can often refine your search to articles, ebooks, dissertations etc.