There are many ways to search databases for scientific journal articles. Here are a few tips when you are searching in a database:
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Keywords—Broaden or Narrow Your Terms; Use Related Terms or Synonyms; Focus on Nouns and Verbs in your Research Question
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Operators—When searching use AND/OR/NOT and/or you can “Use Quotes” to search a particular phrase
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Refining results using things such as Date Range, Subject Areas, or Format Type)
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Read Abstracts (Summaries) First—If relevant to your research question, read the paper next (use the Find it at SLU button or a PDF button, if available, to get the full text)
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Citation Tracking—Find a relevant article and use the References and Citations/Citing Articles to find other related articles