Maximize your keyword searches with Boolean searching.
Use quotation marks to search for "whole phrases".
Use the database’s built in limiting features. Some databases have a filter for full-text or scholarly journals.
Consider truncation. The symbol used is usually *. Typing in creat* will result in results containing: create, creating, creators, creation, creatures, etc.
Try using the database’s subject terms. Those are listed in the database’s thesaurus, or they may be listed near the article abstract.