Too Little Information
1. Did you spell your search terms correctly? Research databases are remarkable tools, but most don't come equipped with spell checkers. One misspelled word can ruin an entire search. Check a dictionary.
2. Get rid of long phrases. When you type in a phrase, all the words must appear in exactly that order before the database will give you anything. Some databases automatically put the operator AND between the words you type, turning your phrase into a long Boolean search string.
| Instead of | discrimination against minorities in Florida |
| Try | discrimination and minorit* and Florida |
3. Try using alternative terms. That’s the purpose of gathering all of the extra vocabulary. Search with synonyms. Don't forget truncation or wildcards for variant forms of a word.
4. Try to come up with broader terms for the idea you need. Every so often, it happens that there's very little written on a specific topic, but a lot on the general area.
| Very narrow | stanozolol and (Randy Orton) |
| Narrow | steroids and WWE |
| Broader | steroids and wrestling |
| Very broad | steroids and sports |
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