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You may sometimes find that the results of your search are unsatisfactory. There may be too much information, not enough information, or the information that was retrieved is not particularly relevant to your needs. Below are several suggestions for how to refine your search statement in order to retrieve an appropriate amount of material, and to ensure that a high percentage of your search results are directly relevant to your search query.
Most databases allow you to limit your search results. This means you can restrict your search results to only those records that meet certain criteria. The chart below lists several options for limiting that are frequently available in databases:
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Limit |
Why use it? |
Example |
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language |
Frequently research indexes and databases will include articles from foreign language journals. It can be helpful to restrict your search to English, if that is the only language you can read. |
english |
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publication year |
You may only be interested in research published recently, or in a particular range of years. Many databases have documents only from mid 1980s to the present. Check the About or Help screens of each to confirm coverage dates. |
after 1995 |
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publication type or material type |
Some indexes and databases include a variety of publication types, such as journal articles, books, dissertations, videos, scores, and recordings. Limiting allows you to look for selected materials |
journal articles |
Some research databases let you apply limits at the initial search screen. For Example:
Other databases allow you to limit your results after you have entered a search. Look for an option such as "limit results". For example:
Different databases may offer additional options for limiting your search results. Look for an option to limit search results when you are using a database or other online resource; this feature can be very helpful in removing irrelevant information from your search results.
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