Here are some tips for searching that work in search engines like Google, as well as the library catalog, OneSearch.
If you want to search for an exact phrase, use quotation marks around it.
If you need to filter out results that aren't relevant to your project, try adding more words.
Instead of performing multiple searches using variations of the same concept, save time by doing one search and using the word OR in all caps.
Sometimes your search results will include many web pages or articles that are irrelevant, and that all have the same term or phrase in common. Results containing this common element can be filtered out with the minus sign.
After you click into a result, you can open up a search box in your browser and use it to go directly to specific terms on the page.
Both the library OneSearch interface and Google offer the ability to limit results by publication date.
If you want to view web results that are from a certain domain, such as education, government, military, or non-profits, you can use these search terms to do so. Note - there cannot be any spaces on either side of the colon.
If you find a great image on the web, but the website does not indicate where it's from, you can upload it to Google Images to see where else it appears - hopefully with a source listed.
The problem with using AI tools for research is that they do not reveal where the information comes from. They are also known to "hallucinate," or make up, fake sources. One exception to this is Perplexity AI, which cites each source it used to answer your question. You can then click on the links to evaluate whether they are good for your project.