system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why are research databases so bad at picking up keywords in search string?

Hi there, 

I am currently trying to conduct a literature review and I have found this (many times in the past and present) that no matter what combination of very specific keywords I use, the results still end up with random papers that have nothing to do with what I searched. 

Now, I know you may say this is because I am being too specific and its just finding the next closest result but when I go on and trawl page after page, I can actually pick up papers here and there that I do need! 

But why is pubmed/medline/google scholar bringing up so much irrelevant stuff?
gpt
Librarian here, probably because you are using a keyword search so the database shows results where those terms show up anywhere in the article, even the citations or authors’ names. There is a lot of nuance to catalog or database searching, you really have to utilize tools like Boolean operators, subject search, and wild card symbols and quote marks if you want high accuracy.