1. articulate your research question or topic.
2. brainstorm keywords.
3. construct search strings.
What makes a GOOD research question?
Remember: Databases don't speak English.
Construct search strings to effectively find resources in databases.
Research Question: "What effect does media have on teens' body image?"
A good example of a search string:
"body image" AND media AND teens
A not great example of a search string:
media's effects on teen body image
Tips for Constructing Search Strings