Databases work by matching your search terms with the items in the database, in this case information about articles. Generally when searching a library type database, link your search terms with the word "AND".
We should consider any and all terms that authors might use to describe our research topic and any synonyms for those terms. We might do searches on:
The * symbol tells the database to search for that root word and any possible ending to that word.
Quotations tell the database to search for that exact phrase.
Searching is a bit of an art so be creative and use a variety of search terms and strategies in order to find the best articles on your topic.
Remember the publication cycle - it takes time for subjects to appear in scholarly articles and books. Depending on the newness of your topic, you may not find scholarly sources on your exact topic.
Cartoon from Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University
This is a multi-disciplinary project. We will need to look for scholarly literature in several disciplines. These databases will be a good start. The subject guides for these disciplines may also help: BioResource Science & Engineering, Business, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Economics, Environment, Government Publications, Health/Medicine, News, Political Science, Sociology,and Urban Design & Planning.
To find the fulltext of the article (if not provided directly in the database), click on the button and work your way through the screens. Not all articles will be online, some may only be in print, others may not be available at the UW.