Keywords (or search terms) are the building blocks of a good search. Once you've chosen a research topic, take time to brainstorm keywords to use.
For example, if you're researching the effect of screen time on children's mental health, break down that topic into 2-3 main concepts:
| screen time | children | mental health |
Then for each of those concepts, brainstorm synonyms for each:
| screen time | children | mental health |
| excessive screen time | child | psychological well-being |
| social media use | adolescents | mental illness |
| screen exposure | youth | anxiety, depression, etc. |
If you're having trouble coming up with synonyms on your own, no worries! Do a Google search and skim through some of the search results. Pay attention to what terminology others have used. You can also read a Wikipedia entry on your topic if one exists.