Q. What happens in a database search if the search terms are too broad?

There are a number of ways to make your search get more specific- and fewer- results. You can add more words to your search, or change the words that you are using to be more specific. For instance, you might change a search for "crime" to "robbery" to make it more specific. 

You can also use limiting tools provided by the database to eliminate results that you do not want. You can limit by publication date, type of publication or material (journal, magazine, newspaper, book, etc). You can even limit your results to scholarly or peer-reviewed articles if that is what your assignment requires. 

Our librarians are happy to help you refine your search- ask us!