How do you limit the number of results given by search engines?

Answer 1

Alright. This largely depends on what you are trying to search for and what kind of search engine you're using.

With something like Google, I would add more qualifiers. For example, say I searched "Howl." I would get a lot of results. But if I searched "Allen Ginsberg Howl" I would get far less results, and I would get ones far more on topic. You can also use the Advanced Search option on google, which allows you to eliminate certain words or look for website in certain countries.

Also, using quotation marks around a title or two words you want together will VASTLY limit your results. For example, if I'm trying to find the book "A Separate Peace" typing it with those quotation marks won't just search for all those words, but those words in that precise order.

If you are looking for information that is more academic or specific, you might want to try using a different kind of search engine. At you local library, a librarian can help you search for an academic text or academic information. You can search certain academic databases if you're a college student, for example.