PILOTS Database: Modify Your Search PILOTS Database: Modify Your SearchIf your search does not turn up the results you want, here are some suggestions: Too Many CitationsExamine at least a few of the results to see whether you defined your topic too broadly, or used too broad a search strategy.
Too Few CitationsWhat if your search has retrieved fewer citations than you think it should have?
No Relevant CitationsAnd what if you could find no relevant citations? Is there a paper that you know to be relevant? Then search for that paper (by author and title), retrieve the citation, and see how it was indexed in the PILOTS Database. That might suggest one or more descriptors to use in searching. It often happens that a search of the PILOTS Database (or any other database) doesn't produce the results that you expect. Database searching works best as an iterative process. Don't expect to get definitive results with your first try; plan on doing an exploratory search, and then modify your search strategy according to the results you get. Don't be discouraged if your first search strategy doesn't work perfectly. Experts at database searching often have to modify their search techniques, especially when working with a database that is new to them. And don't be surprised if you come across a citation whose indexing seems strange to you. This is a complex literature, and the indexer is, after all, perforce a generalist. You may well know more about the topic than the indexer does. (If you find a paper that you believe has been incorrectly indexed, please let us know. We don't mind correcting our mistakes.) Date Created:
See last Reviewed/Updated Date below.
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