diff --git a/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/data_schema.py b/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/data_schema.py
index 7488324..875178c 100644
--- a/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/data_schema.py
+++ b/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/data_schema.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from aind_data_access_api.document_db import MetadataDbClient
 from aind_data_access_api.helpers.docdb import (
-    get_field_from_docdb,
+    get_field_by_id,
     get_id_from_name,
 )
 from aind_data_schema.core.quality_control import QualityControl
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ def get_quality_control_by_id(
     allow_invalid : bool, optional
         return invalid QualityControl as dict if True, by default False
     """
-    record = get_field_from_docdb(
-        client, _id=_id, field="quality_control"
-    )
+    record = get_field_by_id(client, _id=_id, field="quality_control")
     if not record:
         raise ValueError(f"No record found with id {_id}")
 
diff --git a/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/docdb.py b/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/docdb.py
index a660f39..25a75ff 100644
--- a/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/docdb.py
+++ b/src/aind_data_access_api/helpers/docdb.py
@@ -4,37 +4,30 @@
 from aind_data_access_api.document_db import MetadataDbClient
 
 
-def get_record_from_docdb(
+def get_record_by_id(
     client: MetadataDbClient,
     _id: str,
 ) -> Optional[dict]:
-    """
-    Download a record from docdb using the record _id.
+    """Download a record from docdb using the record _id.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    docdb_client : MongoClient
-    db_name : str
-    collection_name : str
+    client : MetadataDbClient
     _id : str
 
     Returns
     -------
     Optional[dict]
-        None if record does not exist. Otherwise, it will return the record as
-        a dict.
-
+        _description_
     """
-    records = client.retrieve_docdb_records(
-        filter_query={"_id": _id}, limit=1
-    )
+    records = client.retrieve_docdb_records(filter_query={"_id": _id}, limit=1)
     if len(records) > 0:
         return records[0]
     else:
         return None
 
 
-def get_projected_record_from_docdb(
+def get_projection_by_id(
     client: MetadataDbClient,
     _id: str,
     projection: dict,
@@ -42,11 +35,11 @@ def get_projected_record_from_docdb(
     """
     Download a record from docdb using the record _id and a projection.
 
+    Projections return fields set to 1 {"field": 1}
+
     Parameters
     ----------
-    docdb_client : MongoClient
-    db_name : str
-    collection_name : str
+    client : MetadataDbClient
     _id : str
     projection : dict
 
@@ -65,12 +58,12 @@ def get_projected_record_from_docdb(
         return None
 
 
-def get_field_from_docdb(
+def get_field_by_id(
     client: MetadataDbClient,
     _id: str,
     field: str,
 ) -> Optional[dict]:
-    """Download a single field from a docdb record
+    """Download a single field from docdb using the record _id
 
     Parameters
     ----------
@@ -83,9 +76,7 @@ def get_field_from_docdb(
     Optional[dict]
         None if a record does not exist. Otherwise returns the field in a dict.
     """
-    return get_projected_record_from_docdb(
-        client, _id=_id, projection={field: 1}
-    )
+    return get_projection_by_id(client, _id=_id, projection={field: 1})
 
 
 def get_id_from_name(
@@ -93,13 +84,11 @@ def get_id_from_name(
     name: str,
 ) -> Optional[str]:
     """
-    Get the _id of a record in DocDb using the name field.
+    Get the _id of a record in DocDb from its name field.
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    docdb_client : MongoClient
-    db_name : str
-    collection_name : str
+    client : MetadataDbClient
     name : str
 
     Returns
@@ -109,8 +98,14 @@ def get_id_from_name(
         the record.
     """
     records = client.retrieve_docdb_records(
-        filter_query={"name": name}, projection={"_id": 1}, limit=1
+        filter_query={"name": name}, projection={"_id": 1}, limit=0
     )
+
+    if len(records) > 1:
+        print(
+            "Warning: multiple records share the name {name}, only the first record will be returned."
+        )
+
     if len(records) > 0:
         return records[0]["_id"]
     else:
diff --git a/tests/test_util_docdb.py b/tests/test_util_docdb.py
index 736648f..9d78209 100644
--- a/tests/test_util_docdb.py
+++ b/tests/test_util_docdb.py
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock
 
 from aind_data_access_api.helpers.docdb import (
-    get_record_from_docdb,
+    get_record_by_id,
     get_id_from_name,
-    get_projected_record_from_docdb,
-    get_field_from_docdb,
+    get_projection_by_id,
+    get_field_by_id,
 )
 
 
@@ -26,16 +26,21 @@ def test_get_record_from_docdb(self):
         """Tests get_record_from_docdb"""
         client = MagicMock()
         client.retrieve_docdb_records.return_value = [{"_id": "abcd"}]
-        record = get_record_from_docdb(client, _id="abcd")
+        record = get_record_by_id(client, _id="abcd")
         self.assertEqual({"_id": "abcd"}, record)
 
+        # test the empty case
+        client.retrieve_docdb_records.return_value = []
+        record = get_record_by_id(client, _id="abcd")
+        self.assertIsNone(record)
+
     def test_get_projected_record_from_docdb(self):
         """Tests get_projected_record_from_docdb"""
         client = MagicMock()
         client.retrieve_docdb_records.return_value = [
             {"quality_control": {"a": 1}}
         ]
-        record = get_projected_record_from_docdb(
+        record = get_projection_by_id(
             client, _id="abcd", projection={"quality_control": 1}
         )
         self.assertEqual({"quality_control": {"a": 1}}, record)
@@ -46,7 +51,5 @@ def test_get_field_from_docdb(self):
         client.retrieve_docdb_records.return_value = [
             {"quality_control": {"a": 1}}
         ]
-        field = get_field_from_docdb(
-            client, _id="abcd", field="quality_control"
-        )
+        field = get_field_by_id(client, _id="abcd", field="quality_control")
         self.assertEqual({"quality_control": {"a": 1}}, field)