Whether you are searching the Web or searching a library database, there are some common search strategies you can use to improve your search results.

The first is choosing appropriate search terms or keywords. Begin by thinking about the words and phrases that describe your topic. For instance, if you are researching the economic impact of AIDS on South Africa, your keywords might include:

• AIDS
• South Africa
• economic impact

Now think about whether there are other terms that could also be used to describe your topic, inlcuding synonyms, related terms, or words and phrases that have similar meaning, such as:

• HIV or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
• Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, etc.
• economy or employment or workforce

Note that you don't have to capitalize proper nouns. Searching for "South Africa" or "south africa" will get you the same results.