I've seen you do it. You're in the Reference Area working on a search and you overuse OVID's Limit options. You select as many limits as you want and end up with 0 citations.
The best approach to using limits is to apply them ONE AT A TIME.
Start with the limits that make the most sense for you, such as English Language or Publication Year(s). Another popular way to pare down retrieval to is to limit to AIM Journals,* the top 120 core clinical journals (from Abridged Index Medicus).
Analyzing your search results is much easier when the limits are applied progressively. You can continue to apply appropriate limits until your search result set reaches a "reasonable" size.
Remember, if you overdo limits you may not get the search results you desire. Be patient and systematic and your results will improve.
*The AIM Journals limit (along with the complete list of limit options) is available by selecting the Limit icon on the OVID toolbar:
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