One of the fundamentals of searching for information on a topic is knowing how to describe what you want. It seems simple enough to type a word into Google or the library catalog or a database - you're certain to get some results. But how often have you been frustrated by finding too many results that are not quite right or results that do not quite fit?

Perhaps the word you used has several different meanings - spring can be a season, a device that uses coiled or bent metal to apply force, a natural source of water, a jump or leap, a slang term for getting someone out of jail, etc.

Perhaps the authors writing the information you need use other words - you might be looking for things about teenagers and not finding things about adolescents. The trick is in thinking of ways of describing what you want and being strategic in your searching.

After viewing the video below, move onto Part 1 - How to Start a Search

Please watch the video for a demonstration of using concepts to find better results for your topic.