Open a promising PDF and search for your . If the word only appears twice in a 30-page paper, that resource is a "tangent" and will waste your time. 5. Sort by "Relevance" vs. "Newest"

is better when you already have your points and just need the latest data to back them up.

I can help you brainstorm more precise keywords to get that number down to a manageable 20.

It sounds like you’ve just hit the "Search" button on a database and are staring down a massive list of results. While 155 resources feel like a lot, it’s actually a great number—specific enough to be relevant, but broad enough to give you options.

If you’re writing about technology, medicine, or social media, anything older than is likely a dinosaur. Filter your search settings to the last few years to instantly cut that 155 in half. 3. Look for the "Big Names"