diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9ca5b47e1..781f66fe9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ dj.FreeTable(dj.conn(), "common_session.session_group").drop()
 - Merge table delete removes orphaned master entries #1164
 - Edit `merge_fetch` to expect positional before keyword arguments #1181
 - Allow part restriction `SpyglassMixinPart.delete` #1192
+- Add mixin method `get_fully_defined_key` #1198
 
 ### Pipelines
 
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@ dj.FreeTable(dj.conn(), "common_session.session_group").drop()
 - Decoding
 
     - Fix edge case errors in spike time loading #1083
+    - Allow fetch of partial key from `DecodingParameters` #1198
+    - Allow data fetching with partial but unique key #1198
 
 - Linearization
 
diff --git a/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/clusterless.py b/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/clusterless.py
index fbfba2183..ae49f388e 100644
--- a/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/clusterless.py
+++ b/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/clusterless.py
@@ -316,8 +316,8 @@ def fetch_model(self):
         """Retrieve the decoding model"""
         return ClusterlessDetector.load_model(self.fetch1("classifier_path"))
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_environments(key):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_environments(cls, key):
         """Fetch the environments for the decoding model
 
         Parameters
@@ -330,6 +330,9 @@ def fetch_environments(key):
         List[TrackGraph]
             list of track graphs in the trained model
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key, required_fields=["decoding_param_name"]
+        )
         model_params = (
             DecodingParameters
             & {"decoding_param_name": key["decoding_param_name"]}
@@ -355,8 +358,8 @@ def fetch_environments(key):
 
         return classifier.environments
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_position_info(key):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_position_info(cls, key):
         """Fetch the position information for the decoding model
 
         Parameters
@@ -369,6 +372,15 @@ def fetch_position_info(key):
         Tuple[pd.DataFrame, List[str]]
             The position information and the names of the position variables
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key,
+            required_fields=[
+                "nwb_file_name",
+                "position_group_name",
+                "encoding_interval",
+                "decoding_interval",
+            ],
+        )
         position_group_key = {
             "position_group_name": key["position_group_name"],
             "nwb_file_name": key["nwb_file_name"],
@@ -381,8 +393,8 @@ def fetch_position_info(key):
 
         return position_info, position_variable_names
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_linear_position_info(key):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_linear_position_info(cls, key):
         """Fetch the position information and project it onto the track graph
 
         Parameters
@@ -395,6 +407,16 @@ def fetch_linear_position_info(key):
         pd.DataFrame
             The linearized position information
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key,
+            required_fields=[
+                "nwb_file_name",
+                "position_group_name",
+                "encoding_interval",
+                "decoding_interval",
+            ],
+        )
+
         environment = ClusterlessDecodingV1.fetch_environments(key)[0]
 
         position_df = ClusterlessDecodingV1.fetch_position_info(key)[0]
@@ -417,8 +439,8 @@ def fetch_linear_position_info(key):
             axis=1,
         ).loc[min_time:max_time]
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_spike_data(key, filter_by_interval=True):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_spike_data(cls, key, filter_by_interval=True):
         """Fetch the spike times for the decoding model
 
         Parameters
@@ -434,6 +456,14 @@ def fetch_spike_data(key, filter_by_interval=True):
         list[np.ndarray]
             List of spike times for each unit in the model's spike group
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key,
+            required_fields=[
+                "nwb_file_name",
+                "waveform_features_group_name",
+            ],
+        )
+
         waveform_keys = (
             (
                 UnitWaveformFeaturesGroup.UnitFeatures
diff --git a/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/core.py b/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/core.py
index 177a87d22..0e3d0fee4 100644
--- a/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/core.py
+++ b/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/core.py
@@ -70,20 +70,27 @@ def insert(self, rows, *args, **kwargs):
     def fetch(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """Return decoding parameters as a list of classes."""
         rows = super().fetch(*args, **kwargs)
-        if len(rows) > 0 and len(rows[0]) > 1:
+        if kwargs.get("format", None) == "array":
+            # case when recalled by dj.fetch(), class conversion performed later in stack
+            return rows
+
+        if not len(args):
+            # infer args from table heading
+            args = tuple(self.heading)
+
+        if "decoding_params" not in args:
+            return rows
+
+        params_index = args.index("decoding_params")
+        if len(args) == 1:
+            # only fetching decoding_params
+            content = [restore_classes(r) for r in rows]
+        elif len(rows):
             content = []
-            for (
-                decoding_param_name,
-                decoding_params,
-                decoding_kwargs,
-            ) in rows:
-                content.append(
-                    (
-                        decoding_param_name,
-                        restore_classes(decoding_params),
-                        decoding_kwargs,
-                    )
-                )
+            for row in zip(*rows):
+                row = list(row)
+                row[params_index] = restore_classes(row[params_index])
+                content.append(tuple(row))
         else:
             content = rows
         return content
@@ -91,7 +98,20 @@ def fetch(self, *args, **kwargs):
     def fetch1(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """Return one decoding paramset as a class."""
         row = super().fetch1(*args, **kwargs)
-        row["decoding_params"] = restore_classes(row["decoding_params"])
+
+        if len(args) == 0:
+            row["decoding_params"] = restore_classes(row["decoding_params"])
+            return row
+
+        if "decoding_params" in args:
+            if len(args) == 1:
+                return restore_classes(row)
+            row = list(row)
+            row[args.index("decoding_params")] = restore_classes(
+                row[args.index("decoding_params")]
+            )
+            return tuple(row)
+
         return row
 
 
diff --git a/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/sorted_spikes.py b/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/sorted_spikes.py
index 9e4c2c3ba..7b4ede194 100644
--- a/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/sorted_spikes.py
+++ b/src/spyglass/decoding/v1/sorted_spikes.py
@@ -275,8 +275,8 @@ def fetch_model(self):
         """Retrieve the decoding model"""
         return SortedSpikesDetector.load_model(self.fetch1("classifier_path"))
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_environments(key):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_environments(cls, key):
         """Fetch the environments for the decoding model
 
         Parameters
@@ -289,6 +289,10 @@ def fetch_environments(key):
         List[TrackGraph]
             list of track graphs in the trained model
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key, required_fields=["decoding_param_name"]
+        )
+
         model_params = (
             DecodingParameters
             & {"decoding_param_name": key["decoding_param_name"]}
@@ -314,8 +318,8 @@ def fetch_environments(key):
 
         return classifier.environments
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_position_info(key):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_position_info(cls, key):
         """Fetch the position information for the decoding model
 
         Parameters
@@ -328,6 +332,16 @@ def fetch_position_info(key):
         Tuple[pd.DataFrame, List[str]]
             The position information and the names of the position variables
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key,
+            required_fields=[
+                "position_group_name",
+                "nwb_file_name",
+                "encoding_interval",
+                "decoding_interval",
+            ],
+        )
+
         position_group_key = {
             "position_group_name": key["position_group_name"],
             "nwb_file_name": key["nwb_file_name"],
@@ -339,8 +353,8 @@ def fetch_position_info(key):
 
         return position_info, position_variable_names
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def fetch_linear_position_info(key):
+    @classmethod
+    def fetch_linear_position_info(cls, key):
         """Fetch the position information and project it onto the track graph
 
         Parameters
@@ -353,6 +367,16 @@ def fetch_linear_position_info(key):
         pd.DataFrame
             The linearized position information
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key,
+            required_fields=[
+                "position_group_name",
+                "nwb_file_name",
+                "encoding_interval",
+                "decoding_interval",
+            ],
+        )
+
         environment = SortedSpikesDecodingV1.fetch_environments(key)[0]
 
         position_df = SortedSpikesDecodingV1.fetch_position_info(key)[0]
@@ -374,9 +398,13 @@ def fetch_linear_position_info(key):
             axis=1,
         ).loc[min_time:max_time]
 
-    @staticmethod
+    @classmethod
     def fetch_spike_data(
-        key, filter_by_interval=True, time_slice=None, return_unit_ids=False
+        cls,
+        key,
+        filter_by_interval=True,
+        time_slice=None,
+        return_unit_ids=False,
     ) -> Union[list[np.ndarray], Optional[list[dict]]]:
         """Fetch the spike times for the decoding model
 
@@ -399,6 +427,14 @@ def fetch_spike_data(
         list[np.ndarray]
             List of spike times for each unit in the model's spike group
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(
+            key,
+            required_fields=[
+                "encoding_interval",
+                "decoding_interval",
+            ],
+        )
+
         spike_times, unit_ids = SortedSpikesGroup.fetch_spike_data(
             key, return_unit_ids=True
         )
diff --git a/src/spyglass/spikesorting/analysis/v1/group.py b/src/spyglass/spikesorting/analysis/v1/group.py
index 2f862c4fb..34041117b 100644
--- a/src/spyglass/spikesorting/analysis/v1/group.py
+++ b/src/spyglass/spikesorting/analysis/v1/group.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 import datajoint as dj
 import numpy as np
-from ripple_detection import get_multiunit_population_firing_rate
 
 from spyglass.common import Session  # noqa: F401
 from spyglass.settings import test_mode
@@ -127,9 +126,12 @@ def filter_units(
             include_mask[ind] = True
         return include_mask
 
-    @staticmethod
+    @classmethod
     def fetch_spike_data(
-        key: dict, time_slice: list[float] = None, return_unit_ids: bool = False
+        cls,
+        key: dict,
+        time_slice: list[float] = None,
+        return_unit_ids: bool = False,
     ) -> Union[list[np.ndarray], Optional[list[dict]]]:
         """fetch spike times for units in the group
 
@@ -148,6 +150,8 @@ def fetch_spike_data(
         list of np.ndarray
             list of spike times for each unit in the group
         """
+        key = cls.get_fully_defined_key(key)
+
         # get merge_ids for SpikeSortingOutput
         merge_ids = (
             (
diff --git a/src/spyglass/utils/dj_mixin.py b/src/spyglass/utils/dj_mixin.py
index 91cf35870..2df4844a4 100644
--- a/src/spyglass/utils/dj_mixin.py
+++ b/src/spyglass/utils/dj_mixin.py
@@ -137,6 +137,28 @@ def _safe_context(cls):
             else nullcontext()
         )
 
+    @classmethod
+    def get_fully_defined_key(
+        cls, key: dict = None, required_fields: list[str] = None
+    ) -> dict:
+        if key is None:
+            key = dict()
+
+        required_fields = required_fields or cls.primary_key
+        if isinstance(key, (str, dict)):  # check is either keys or substrings
+            if not all(
+                field in key for field in required_fields
+            ):  # check if all required fields are in key
+                if not len(query := cls() & key) == 1:  # check if key is unique
+                    raise KeyError(
+                        f"Key is neither fully specified nor a unique entry in"
+                        + f"table.\n\tTable: {cls.full_table_name}\n\tKey: {key}"
+                        + f"Required fields: {required_fields}\n\tResult: {query}"
+                    )
+                key = query.fetch1("KEY")
+
+        return key
+
     # ------------------------------- fetch_nwb -------------------------------
 
     @cached_property