Focus
As a general rule of thumb, a retrieval set of 10-30 articles is ideal. Fewer and we must question the scope of coverage in the literature, or usefulness of the search strategy (terms, syntax) for identifying literature on that topic. More than 30 hits and you may not have time to evaluate the results. Many more and your topic is too broad to manage in a typical assignment.
Abstracts and Descriptors
To determine whether a cited article is relevant to your topic, scan the abstract (summary) from the retrieval list, or select the article title to view its full database record. Subjects (sometimes called "descriptors") are additional clues to the content of the article. Select major and minor subjects to link to other articles on aspects of your topic.
