A database is used to store information and that information must be retrievable. In the case of library databases, keywords or search terms are used to get to the stored information, which includes among other resources e-books and articles.
Sentences or sentence fragments should not be used when database searching. Instead, researchers should use keyword or phrase searching.
Think of words that best describe the topic you are searching. Quotation marks are used to identify phrase searching (for example, "hand hygeine").
Concepts can be identified using various words so it is helpful to identify synonyms or related terms as well. Use narrower and broader terms to decrease and increase results, respectively.
| Keyword(s)/phrase: | Dog |
| Synonyms: | Domestic dog, "canis familiaris" |
| Related terms: | Wolf, canis lupus |
| Narrower terms: | Poodle, labrador |
| Broader terms: | Canis, domestic animals |
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