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When should you use keywords, subject headings, phrases, single words?
Keywords usually give you more resources (a broader search).
Subject Headings, which use a standardized vocabulary, usually give you more specific resources on your topic.

Boolean Logic
The search techniques you use will determine the relevance of your results. All search techniques are based on Boolean logic. In most databases you will either conduct a Boolean search or use a required operator. Other techniques will help you refine your search. Different search tools will use different symbols for truncation, phrase, and proximity searching.

Boolean logic is a mathematical way of combining sets. Boolean operators include and or +,or, and not or - .

In the results from a two word search:
and means both words must appear
or means that either word may appear
not means that the second word must not appear

In a variation developed for the web, placing a + or - at the beginning of a word means:
+ the word is required to appear
- the word must not appear (same effect as not)

Find out which Boolean operator is used as the default before conducting your search.

Truncation or wild card
Truncation makes it possible to search a root word (ex. child*).
A wild card replaces a single letter (ex. wom?n).

Phrase Searching
Search a sequence of words (ex. "imprisoned mothers").

Proximity Searching
Search for words that are close together (ex . dependent near prisoner)