Use reference resources (e.g., subject dictionaries and encyclopedias, handbooks) to obtain background information, an overview of your topic, key issues, an understanding of basic concepts, narrower and related terms, and definitions.

Search videos by keyword, then filter by date, channel, publisher, and more. Find a video of interest and search the video transcript to play specific sections relevant to your topic.
Sample videos:

opens new windowopens new windowopens new window

To identify relevant databases, try a search in opens new windowEagleSearch. When results come up, click Databases in the left menu.

Use relevant keywords to formulate a variety of search expressions in all relevant databases. The search examples below provide ideas on how to edit a search and create effective searches.

opens new windowProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global:

• (glutamate metabolism) AND (pain or inflammation) - keyword search
• ("glutamate metabolism") AND (pain or inflammation) - phrase and keyword search

opens new windowMEDLINE with Full Text:

• opens new window (MH "Pain+") AND (MH "Glutamates+/ME") AND (effect* or influenc* or impact) - MeSH and keyword search
• opens new windowglutamate metabolism AND (pain or inflammation) AND (effect* or impact* or influence) AND (study or research or report) - keyword search

opens new windowScienceDirect:

• opens new window"glutamate metabolism" AND inflammation - phrase and keyword search; limited to article type Research articles
  opens new windowglutamate AND metabolism AND inflammation - keywords
• opens new window"fetal microchimerism" AND physiological
  opens new window"fetal microchimerism" AND physiological AND (effect OR impact OR factor)
• opens new window"sustainable practices" AND (farms or agriculture)
  opens new windowsustainability And approach AND (farms OR agriculture)

opens new windowGreenFILE

• opens new windowsustainable practices AND (farms OR agriculture)
  opens new windowDE "SUSTAINABLE development" AND agricultureopens new window

opens new windowGoogle Scholar (Change "settings" in Google Scholar to access ORU resources.)

• opens new windowbiofortification AND study AND essential nutrients AND advantage
• opens new windowenriched foods and fertilized and "essential nutrients"

Subjects headings vary with databases, as shown below, and may be identified as Subjects, Subject Heading, or Thesaurus.

• opens new windowdog and nutrition and "national research council"- In ScienceDirect; keyword and phrase search; limit to article type Research articles
  opens new windownutrition AND dogs AND (research or study) - In MEDLINE, keyword search
  opens new window"dog nutrition" - In MEDLINE, phrase search
  opens new window (MH "Animal Nutrition Sciences") - In MEDLINE, MeSH search
  Above search limited on Advanced Search to "Animal: Dogs"
  opens new windowDE "DOGS -- Nutrition"- Academic Search Complete, subject (DE=Descriptor or subject term)

• opens new windowfungi AND medicinal - In ScienceDirect, keywords
  opens new window (MH "Fungi+/IM/IP/GE/DE") AND medicinal - MEDLINE, MeSH and keyword search (DE= drug effects, GE= genetics, IM= immunology, IP= isolation & purification)

Limit date, age group, subsets, etc., as needed to match your research needs.

Do you need primary research, clinical trials, surveys?
Try a search that includes the publication type -clinical trial, comparative study, research, etc.- in your search query. Some databases include limiters on the Advanced Search that include gender, age, subsets, and more.

• opens new window (subject:"alzheimer's disease") AND (everything:aluminum) - PLOS ONE, subject and keyword search
  opens new window (subject:"alzheimer's disease") AND everything:prevention) AND everything: "clinical trials"- PLOS ONE, subject and keyword search
  opens new window (MH "Alzheimer Disease/PC/MI") AND "purpose of this study"- MEDLINE, MeSH and phrase search; date limit 2011-2016 (PC=prevention and control; MI= microbiology)
  opens new window (MH "Alzheimer Disease/PC/MI")- MEDLINE; Limiters-2010-2016; Narrowed by Subject Age: all child: 0-18 years

Sample article:
opens new window"Modeling Test and Treatment Strategies for Presumption Alzheimer Disease" (Note: PLoS includes funding information, author(s), affiliations and competing interests, and more.)