Use this checklist to plan your own search.

1. Ask yourself, what do I need to know?
2. Break the topic down into its broad areas or concepts. You will usually find that your question breaks down into a couple of ideas or concepts.
3. Is there a very specific word or phrase that you are looking for?
   If there is a commonly used and recognised term for your topic, use it, as most authors will also have used it, and it will make your search more specific.
4. Think of some alternative words for the words you have chosen – for instance, ‘young people’ and ‘adolescents’ mean roughly the same thing. So that you don't miss anything, remember:
   – Plurals – child, children
   – Abbreviations – UK, United Kingdom
   – Variations in spelling – colour, color, specialised, specialized
   – Variations in terminology used in different cultures and countries – for instance, ‘children with emotional and behavioural problems’ (UK) are referred to as ‘maladjusted children’ in the US.
5. This will help to ensure that you find things that an author might have referred to using different terms. But don't worry if you can't always find any sensible substitutes for the words you have chosen – there might not be any.
6. Are any of the words vague or ambiguous? If they are, cut them out – it is important to be precise so that you only find what is relevant.
7. Next try writing out your request in full.
8. Are there any geographical or date limitations you need to build in to your search? (e.g. are you looking for the worldwide or European perspective? Are you interested in historical or very current material?) Does your statement make sense?
9. Are all the words that relate to each other in the right place? If they are, you are ready to choose your sources and start searching. We will tackle this in Section 4.

You might like to use this framework in future to help your plan your searches.