Records in library databases are comprised of fields containing specific pieces of bibliographic information. Common fields include:
Limiting your search to specific database fields can yield more precise results. For example, if you are looking for books by Adam Smith instead of about him, it is more efficient to limit your search to the author field.
When you search a database you may choose to search specific fields to improve the accuracy of your results. Look for an advanced search option in the database to see a wider selection of fields and also to have the ability to combine fields in your search.
Here's an example of the fields available on one of the library databases advanced search:
And here is where you can find the fields listed in your search results
This guide was adapted from the MIT Libraries Database Search Tips guide with permission under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license