Once you have completed your search, combining all concepts with OR/AND, you may choose to refine further by applying filters to limit, or narrow, the focus of your results. You can use more than one filter if more than one is available. Common filters include date range, language, publication type, and full text. 

Considerations:

• It is not advised to use the "Full text" filters. It prevents you from finding articles that may be accessed through other databases, or that you could request from the library.
• Using too many limiters or poorly chosen limiters may restrict your results too much
• Only use limits if it is part of your search strategy. You may have to justify any limit you add to your search, including the language and date limit.

Filters are usually found along the left-hand side of your search results. Notable exceptions:

Ovid platform – Medline, Embase, Emcare, PsycInfo

Limit by age group, date, language, clinical queries, publication type, full text etc. by clicking on Additional Limits button below the search bar. 

Cochrane Library

Limit by content type (review, trial, protocol), publication date, Cochrane group (subject area e.g. heart, injury, stroke etc.) by clicking Limits button on final search line. 

The library Databases page has user guides for a wide range of other databases. 

Databases and Apps A-Z