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Step 1: Identify key concepts

How does social media affect the mental health of teenagers?

Core concepts:
social media • mental health • teenagers

Tip: Try underlining or highlighting the two or three main ideas in your own question. These are the key concepts you’ll use to start building your search.

You may need to adjust them as your research develops.

Step 2: Brainstorm Synonyms

Different authors use different words. Think broadly!

Concept                                                  Related Terms

Social media                                          Instagram, TikTok, social network

Mental health                                          Anxiety, depression, well-being

Teenagers                                              adolescents, high school students, youth

**Add new terms as you read articles or abstracts.

 

Step 3: Combine Keywords

Use Boolean operators to control your search:

***Use parentheses for complex searches:
(teenagers OR adolescents) AND ("social media" AND "mental health")

 

Step 4: Search → Review → Refine

  1. Search using your first set of keywords.

  2. Review what you find — are results relevant?

  3. Refine by adjusting terms or adding filters.

***That’s the recursive process in action. Each search helps you improve the next one.