Combination searching:

✓ Combine keyword and subject searching or multiple subjects.
✓ Combine a previous searches or add new terms to a previous search.

Database Limiters:

✓ In psychology databases, use the limiters listed on Advanced Search to refine your search and for targeted results.
For example, your search may include multiple terms, such as adolescent OR teen OR young adult or youth. Do these terms represent the same age group? As shown below, using Age Group limiters APA PsycArticles can target articles for a specific age group.

✓ Date, Peer-Reviewed, Methodology, Classification, Tests & Measures, Populations, Gender, Age Group (shown above), and other limiters may be available to use in a database to refine your search.

Try the searches below in APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Compare the types of searches and their results.
DE = Descriptor or subject term

TOPIC: What are causes or factors that contribute to bipolar depression in women.

• "bipolar depression" AND women AND ( factors OR cause)
• DE "BIPOLAR disorder" AND (women or female) AND (depression or anxiety)

TOPIC: Does self-talk build confidence?

• self-talk AND (confidence OR self esteem)
• DE "Self-Talk" and (confidence OR self esteem)

TOPIC: Is behavior modification an effective treatment for teen eating disorders and other teen mental health disorders?

• (DE "Behavior Modification") AND (DE "Anorexia Nervosa")

TOPIC: Do videos games have a negative effect on a child's development?

• DE "Childhood Development" AND video games AND risk factors
• children AND video games AND negative effect*