PsycInfo has a thesaurus built right into it, so it is important to search only one term at a time. Doing this allows you to take advantage of the database's controlled vocabulary. (Not sure what controlled vocabulary is? Click here)
Sample Topic: Mental illness and stigmatization
Begin by entering in your broadest keyword (Mental Illness) Make sure you click "Suggest Subject Terms" to make use of the controlled vocabulary.
The thesaurus will then recommend which term it prefers, as seen here:
This is the database's way of telling you which words it prefers. Click on the term to read the definition to make sure that it matches your understanding. Click the term and then click add and then search.
Search your next term (Stigma). The thesaurus is telling you that the database prefers the term "Stigma", but that it also recommends other terms like "Stereotyped Attitudes". Click the desired term(s), click add and then search.
On the results screen, join the searches together using the Boolean operator AND. Using AND makes the two concepts about each other, narrowing the results and increasing the relevancy.
The results will contain articles specifically about mental disorders (mental illness) and issues of stigmatization.
Here is a video to demonstrate the process.