Databases are searchable collections of information. In this case, scholarly and academic materials such as journal articles and etextbooks. There are many databases you might use depending on the assignment. However, the databases on the 'Best Bets' tab are likely to be the best place for you to focus your search. The 'Recommended' tab suggests other places you might try, particularly if you topic is more interdisciplinary and you are looking for research in disciplines such as health, business and sociology.
Split your topic into keywords: To find better and fewer results, think about your keywords. Make sure they accurately describe what you are looking for, and add more keywords to make your search more specific.
Think of alternative keywords: For example, 'young' could also be referred to as 'youth' or 'adolescent'. Or, think of the bigger picture. For example, instead of searching for 'boys' or 'girls', try searching for 'gender'.
Search for phrases in "double quotation marks": For example, "special educational needs". This will search for the phrase as a whole, instead of the individual words.
Select a data range: For example, you may only want literature published since 2010. Most databases have the option to select dates.
For more help see our Finding resources guide, or contact your Librarian.