There are two keys to successful searching:

1. Using the right words

2. Using the right tool (database).

The Right Words

When searching for articles in a database, you will need to identify a number of keyword search terms to use based on your topic.

Using the * at the end of the root word (for example, agricultur*) will tell the database to find the word, the plural form, and any related words with different suffixes (e.g, agriculture, agricultural)

Next, you need to combine these search terms with connectors to create a search statement to use in the database. You will want to create several different search statements to use for searching. 

Here are some search statement examples:

• Irrigat* AND California AND broccoli*
• (water OR groundwater) AND irrigat* AND broccoli

TIP You won’t want to enter a phrase (such as 'how technology impacts broccoli irrigation practices in California') in the search box of the database or index, because the database will not be able to understand it and you won't get any results. Remember to pick out the important words for your topic and use AND/OR to combine them into a search statement.

The Right Tool

It is equally important to use the right database to search for articles. The databases listed below are appropriate for searching for articles for the essay assignment. Make sure you select the database that is most appropriate for your topic, and keep in mind that you may need to use more than one to find articles.