Databases typically allow you to limit or filter your search results in various ways. These may include:

• Date of publication (range searching)
• Language
• Publication Type (magazine, scholarly article, review articles)
• Peer-reviewed
• ​Document Type (proceedings, book chapter, etc.)
• Full-text availability

• Brainstorm your keywords for additional synonyms or related terms
• Expand your topic by removing filters
• Remove keywords from your search, dropping one concept from your strategy
• Use the Boolean operator "or" to add concepts and broaden your search

What do you do when you get thousands of results from a search, most of which is not relevant or useful?  Or when you get few to zero results? Try using Boolean operators to expand or narrow your results.  This graphic explains what Boolean Operators are, and how they work.    Infographic from the Prince George's Community College Library.