Tips for Conducting a Literature Review
Tip 1: Be Familiar With How Your Search Tools Work
Each database will search differently because of how it handles its search results and organizes contents. Pay particular attention to:
- Subject headings: these terms describe articles by their topic area--each database will have different subject headings that you can search or use as keywords.
- Content: some databases contain only articles; others contain a wide variety. Some databases have the ability to search for terms that appear in the full-text of its content; other databases search for terms an the item's title information. Knowing what and how the database searches will influence how you search.
- Advanced Options: pay attention to the filters available. Most databases have an advanced search where you can apply filters before you search.
Tip 2: Break your research into manageable pieces
You do not need to find everything in one search. One way to search efficiently is to do multiple targeted searches that focus on different aspects of your question at your time. When searching:
- Consider what source type(s) best address what you are looking for.
- Try various search terms for the same concept.
- Search using multiple databases and search tools.
Tip 3: Pay attention to patterns in the literature
A big part of doing a literature review is understanding how existing scholarship is related. Look for:
- Themes in evidence and positions--is there consensus (or disagreement) in the literature?
- Trends in authorship and publication--do certain scholars emerge often? Which journals are articles appearing in?
- Patterns in citation of scholarship--which articles are cited often? Which exist in a citation chain with other articles you have seen?
- Relationships in the database--databases have methods for showing relationships between content, like subject headings.
Tip 4: Save your work and track your progress
This is arguably the most important part of a successful literature. Make sure to:
- Write down keywords, subject headings and effective search strings.
- Store and organize the sources you find. Zotero is a helpful tool for this.
