In the research process, a search strategy is a plan for locating credible information.  Different investigations require different emphases within the search strategy, but most search strategies use some or all of these elements, and this research tutorial will help you with each of these ideas:  

Choosing a topic or formulating a thesis Locating background information in reference resources Developing a list of search terms and comparing keywords to subject headings Finding articles from journals, magazines, or newspapers Finding books, government documents, audiovisual resources, and other items  Finding specific types of information such as statistics, chronologies, or financial data  Checking the Internet for current information from organizations or companies Critically evaluating the information located Getting help

Although we have listed the search strategy steps in a linear progression, most researchers do some backtracking and retracing of steps as they are informed by their research and new ideas or directions occur to them. 

The Working Bibliography
As you research, be careful to maintain a working bibliography.  Your working bibliography can be stored in electronic format, printed out, or hand-written.  It should include all potential references and other sources of information -- annotations, quotations, entire articles, etc.   The Longman Concise Companion describes this process in Section 18e, "Creating a Research File and a Timeline" and in Section 19a, "Developing a Search Strategy and Working Bibliography."