Define the search scope behind a Chinese marketplace dataset
Record queries, filters and stopping rules so a selected marketplace dataset has an interpretable research boundary.
A file of search results describes a selection process. Before interpreting its contents, document how records entered the file and where the collection stopped. This is different from checking whether its fields are complete.
Use this approach when planning research across 1688, Alibaba, Taobao, JD, Pinduoduo, Weidian, Goofish and Yiwugo. An older China mini importation YouTube tutorial demonstrates keyword and picture searches on 1688. It illustrates two discovery routes, not current interface instructions or evidence of complete market coverage.
Write the selection rule before reviewing results
Specify the research question, included platforms and discovery method. For a keyword search, retain the exact submitted wording and language. For an image-based search, agree a reference and its permitted use; do not assume every source supports the same method.
Record visible filters and sorting separately from the query. If a setting was unavailable or not recorded, state that gap. A search-result position is an observation within that search, not a universal product ranking or a measure of demand.
Keep limits and exclusions visible
For an original fictional study, the team agrees two queries and a limit of 30 returned listings per query. At most 60 result appearances are expected before deduplication. This does not imply 60 unique products, all relevant sellers or a representative market sample.
Keep query membership when the same listing appears twice, while counting the distinct listing separately. Record planned exclusions and their reasons. Distinguish a completed bounded search from a search interrupted by an access problem; fewer rows alone do not identify the cause.
Report the boundary with the findings
A zero-result query establishes only that the recorded run returned no results. It does not prove that the product is absent from the platform. Similarly, a top-result collection cannot establish market share without a suitable independent sampling design.
Share the proposed queries, filters, limits and intended decision with PandaBuyNow. Confirm feasible source access and delivery notes in a representative project sample. The public sample pack is fictional; it is not a live search run or a census of any marketplace.