Building a Database Search
This guide will help you to build an efficient search for your research.
- Home
- Keywords and Subject Headings Toggle Dropdown
- Phrases
- Fields
- Filters
- Boolean Operators
- Example Searches
Most useful filters
The most useful filters are usually:
- Publication date
- Can set a range of dates where the article was published- especially helpful for health sciences, as most experts agree that it's best to use resources from within the last 5 years.
- Peer reviewed
- Most databases have a checkbox option for "Peer reviewed". This is super important!
- This means the article had to be read and approved by other experts in the field before it was allowed to be published. It makes the article more credible, as multiple people confirmed the information is correct and relevant.
- Source types
- Depending on what is required for your assignment, you can select one or multiple source types. The most common one would be Academic Journals (similar to peer reviewed- this makes the article more credible and trustworthy), but sometimes you may be looking for a news article, book, etc.
- Subject
- This filter helps to narrow down your searches. Typically, it will recommend some related subjects based on your search results.
- For example, my search for "phone addiction" recommended I narrow my search using the subjects "compulsive behavior," "risk factors", "college students", or "questionnaires".
- This is also a great way to explore more information about your topic or possible paths for your research!
Filters in EBSCO Databases
See the below video for more information about using the filters within EBSCO databases. To find which of our databases are provided by EBSCO, you can use the vendor dropdown in our A-Z Database list.
The most popular EBSCO databases that Bristol students use are:
- Academic Search Complete
- Business Source Complete
- CINAHL
- ERIC
- Health Source: Consumer Edition
- eBook Collection
Filters in Gale Databases
See the below video for more information about using the filters within Gale databases. To find which of our databases are provided by Gale, you can use the vendor dropdown in our A-Z Database list.
The most popular Gale databases that Bristol students use are:
- Academic OneFile
- Biography in Context
- Gale Power Search
- Opposing Viewpoints in Context
- Anything that has OneFile in the title!
- Last Updated: Sep 4, 2025 4:00 PM
- URL: https://libguides.bristolcc.edu/buildingdbsearch
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