Data retrieval, in database management, involves extracting the wanted data from a database. The two primary forms of the retrieved data are reports and queries.

In order to retrieve the desired data the user present a set of criteria by a query. Then the Database Management System (DBMS), software for managing databases, selects the demanded data from the database. The retrieved data may be stored in a file, printed, or viewed on the screen.

A query language, such as Structured Query Language (SQL), is used to prepare the queries. SQL is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standardized query language developed specifically to write database queries. Each DBMS may have its own language, but most relational DBMSs also support SQL.

Reports and queries are the two primary forms of the retrieved data from a database. There are some overlaps between them, but queries generally select a relatively small portion of the database, while reports show larger amounts of data. Queries also present the data in a standard format and usually display it on the monitor; whereas reports allow formatting of the output however you like and is normally printed.