There are many ways you can improve searches.
A few simple tips that can start you off.
- Do not search using full sentences. Select a few keywords that best define your question.
- For example: If I wanted to know about the impact of technology in the classroom, my question might be, "What impact does technology have on education?" My keywords would be technology and education. I might add impact or effect as well. Keep synonyms in mind when searching!
- Narrow down to a topic that is specific and focused enough for your assignment. If you are writing a 7 page paper, you don't want a topic that will require 20 to write about! My above example, for instance, is really too broad. I could add elements to narrow it down and focus my search. For more info on topic narrowing, there is a video linked below.
- For example: I might look at high school education in the United States. So my question becomes, "What impact does technology have on high school education in the United States?" I could search using the keywords technology education and "high school." I could also add, "United States" to limit by geography.
