Search Process
First you need to formulate a research topic or a question. If you are not sure yet, start broad and then look through your results and narrow your broad topic down.
What is out there already written about it? How can you add your own voice to the discussion?
If you start with a broad research question or statement, database Thesaurus can help: its suggested narrow and related terms can give you an idea. For example, for a phrase "wetland restoration", Thesaurus suggests a narrower term "salt marsh restoration".
Subject vs. Keyword Searching
Subject Search
Subject term or Thesaurus search is the most precise search for only those terms that are already in the Database. Thesaurus contains only current, updated terms. This type of search will get fewer, more relevant results, because it looks only in one record field: “Subjects”.
Thesaurus suggests both broader and narrower terms for your initial keyword. For example, for the terms "wetland restoration", narrower aspects of the topic are suggested, such as “plant diversity”.
Keyword Search (Advanced Mode)
Offers more options to add keywords.
Can limit keywords to appear just in one field, e.g., Title.
The same search terms produce more results than with the Subject search. Why? The terms are found not only in the Subjects field but also in the Title and Abstract.
Limiters
Limit your search to the type of publications, such as peer-reviewed scholarly articles, select a date range, such as the last 5 years. Limit to the US, if you need a specific geographical area or region.
Resources cited in the article - Resources that cite the article
Once you find a good resource, such as an article relevant to your topic, a good strategy is to mine its list of references for additional useful resources. This process is called “backward chaining”. You can also do “forward chaining” to identify those who have cited the article you found. This way you search backwards and forwards in time for related resources. One resource links you to another, which links you to another, and so on to create a chain of relevant literature.
Citation chaining is especially useful for writing a literature review since it helps you follow chains of related sources.
Tip: articles published in the last few years might be too recent to have any other articles citing them.