> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.nested-knowledge.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.nested-knowledge.com/guides/write-a-search-query/doaj.md).
# DOAJ
Learn how to write a DOAJ search query.
DOAJ indexes only vetted, fully open-access journals. Search DOAJ when open-access status matters to your review, or when you want to confirm a specific journal's open-access standing.
### Write A Query
Combine keywords with `AND`, `OR`, and `AND NOT` (case-sensitive). Terms with no operator between them are ANDed together by default, so:
```
dizziness stroke
```
resolves to `dizziness AND stroke`, returning records containing both words. Use quotation marks for a phrase with spaces, and parentheses for longer strings:
```
dizziness AND NOT "heat exhaustion" AND stroke AND (elderly OR senior)
```
retrieves records containing both "dizziness" and "stroke," and either "elderly" or "senior," while excluding any record mentioning "heat exhaustion."
#### Search Specific Fields
Restrict a term to one field with `field:keyword`. For example, `title:stroke` returns only records with "stroke" in the title. Commonly used fields:
* `title`
* `abstract`
* `publisher` (journal name)
* `bibjson.journal.language`
* `bibjson.author.name`
* `bibjson.year` — most often combined with a range, for example `bibjson.year:[2015 TO 2022]`
See DOAJ's [field search documentation](https://doaj.org/api/v3/docs#specific_field_search) for the complete list. Combine field and keyword searches freely:
```
title:stroke AND abstract:"IV-TPA" AND bibjson.journal.language:en
```
### Work Within The Search Size Limit
DOAJ's API [caps results at 1,000 records per search](https://groups.google.com/g/doaj-public-api/c/wHecwneNrPM/m/Xp5NXP4FAQAJ). Nested Knowledge truncates any larger search to the top 1,000 results by relevance, so a search returning more than that is silently losing records rather than erroring — check your result count before relying on it.
To stay under the limit, split a broad search into smaller pieces using `bibjson.year` ranges. For example, this search returns 1,013 results at time of writing:
```
(elderly OR senior OR caregivers) AND isolation
```
Split around a midpoint year to bring each half under the cap:
```
(elderly OR senior OR caregivers) AND isolation AND bibjson.year:[1900 TO 2019]
(elderly OR senior OR caregivers) AND isolation AND bibjson.year:[2020 TO 2022]
```
### Advanced Syntax
See [DOAJ's search documentation](https://doaj.org/api/docs#search_api) for the full range of supported [Elasticsearch operators](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/1.4/query-dsl-query-string-query.html#query-string-syntax) beyond what's covered here.
### Test Your Search
Unless your query is keyword-only, don't test it against [doaj.org](https://doaj.org/)'s own search interface — it uses a more limited, incompatible syntax that doesn't support parentheses. Instead, test within your nest:
1. Check the result count in Nested Knowledge's search creation interface.
2. If the count looks reasonable, run the search.
3. Filter to its results using the Literature Search filter in Study Inspector.
4. Skim results, using Inspector's Explore feature to confirm they match your search's intent.
5. If results don't match your intent, delete the search and refine it.
### FAQs
Why did my search return fewer records than I expected?
If your search would otherwise return more than 1,000 records, Nested Knowledge truncates it to the top 1,000 by relevance rather than erroring — split the search by year range to recover the rest.
Can I test my DOAJ query on the DOAJ website before running it in Nested Knowledge?
Only if it's keyword-only. Anything using field search, Boolean operators, or parentheses uses different, incompatible syntax on doaj.org itself — test inside your nest instead.
---
# Agent Instructions
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## Querying This Documentation
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```
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```
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