Use keywords and synonyms:
Start by taking keywords directly from your thesis statement.
Use synonyms and related concepts by thinking of other words that mean the same thing as the keywords in your question.
Ex. marijuana or cannabis
Ex. global warming or climate change
Ex. college or university
Look at the subject terms in your search results and see if you can use any of those.
Use truncation:
You can broaden your search results by typing an asterisk symbol * at the end of the root of a word. When you do this, the computer will search for alternative endings for the word you have typed.
For example:
depress* depression depressed depressive
legal* legalize(d) legalization legalizing
A general database covering many areas of academic study. Find articles from over 7,000 full-text periodicals and abstracts from more than 11,000 additional journals.