Research Process: Search Limits in Databases
I have a research project to do, now what?
This is a guide that will walk you through the research process, from selecting a topic to putting it all together.
Accessing the Databases
Access 100+ databases organized by subject area from the Research Databases page. Also try our dynamic, sortable database list!
To access the databases
from off-campus, you must provide the 14-digit library barcode from the back of your student ID.
Search Limits
The most common and helpful search filters in a database are the:
- full text limit (only returns articles you can read the full text of),
- scholarly/peer reviewed limit (only returns scholarly/peer reviewed articles),
- publication date limit (to exclude articles older than a certain point, or published within a certain time period).
Looking at the search limits in a particular database can also give you clues about the content of the database. E.g. if you don't see a scholarly/peer reviewed limit, it probably means that the database you are searching is already ONLY scholarly/peer reviewed.
Search Options & Refine Results
Limiters may be selected at the start of your search, or you can filter your results from the results page:
