How to narrow down a HeinOnline search results list

This guide shows you how to narrow down your search results on HeinOnline, ensuring you can efficiently find what you need. By learning how to adjust your search terms, apply date filters, and utilize PathFinder subjects, you can enhance the precision of your research. These techniques help eliminate irrelevant items, allowing you to focus on the most useful resources for your topic.

Charlie Brampton
14 steps
3 minutes

Heinonline

Go to <https://heinonline-org.oxfordbrookes.idm.oclc.org/HOL/Welcome>

Use the search box to search for your topic

You'll see the number of results displayed at the top of the list. This number may suggest that you've found too many items. Or, as you start to scroll down the list, you might see lots of irrelevant items. These are both indicators that you need to narrow down your search.

One way to do this is to edit your original search. Could you replace a word with a more precise word? Or add an extra word to your search?

Here, we've added 'Asia' to the original search. This will make the search more precise and thus return fewer results.

Another way to narrow down your results list is to click on "Date" down the left.

Either choose a time period from the list provided or use the 'from' and 'to' boxes to enter your own time period.

Click "Apply" at the bottom of the date pop-up wndow.

You'll now see your date filter at the top of the screen. You can quickly revert to all dates by clicking on the X next to your date filter.

Note how all of your search results are tagged with "PathFinder subjects". You can choose to only show results tagged with a specific PathFinder subject. This will remove any articles that just *mention* your topic and leave you with a more precise list of articles *about* your topic.

Click "PathFinder Subjects"

Select as many PathFinder subjects as you wish. The numbers in brackets show how many of your current results are tagged with each subject. Remember, a result can have more than one subject.

Click "Apply" at the bottom of the PathFinder subjects pop-up.

You'll see your subject filters at the top of your results list. You can remove any of these filters at any time by clicking on the X next to them.