Once you have background information on both your person and a historical frame of reference, it's time to combine the two and find more information about why this person's contribution was significant and what this person did.
To do this using the library's research databases, you'll need to use KEYWORDS and BOOLEAN operators to format your search.
The library's databases work by matching - they search for exactly what you type in (unlike Google).
When using the library's databases, instead of searching with sentences or phrases, you should search with KEYWORDS.
To choose keywords, start by identifying the most important part of your topic. Then brainstorm synonyms and other similar terms.
After you have identified keywords for your topic, combine them with BOOLEAN operators (AND, OR, NOT).
HINT: The boolean operator students find most useful is AND.
Once you have a list of KEYWORDS, you can combine them with BOOLEAN operators to create your searches.
Once you know the basics of searching with KEYWORDS and BOOLEAN operators, you will find that it is much easier to find what you need in the library's research databases.
Remember to use KEYWORDS and the BOOLEAN term AND for best search results.
Example searches: