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Writing a Literature Review: Searching for Sources

Before Searching

Determining Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria for Searching

Once you have developed your research question, decide what criteria you will use while researching sources.

 

Time Frame

Select a time frame for relevant search results, such as the last five years.

Geography

Select which countries you will include in your research.

Methodology

Select which types of research methodology to include in your searches.

Inter-disciplinary Fields

Determine if there are adjacent fields in which your type of research has been done that you might want to include.

Organizing Structure

Select how you want to organize your Literature Review, such as framing it around a debate in your research field.

Choosing Databases

Library Catalog

The Library Catalog contains books, videos, music, primary sources, and articles.

Database List

McFarlin has a Database List that contains all our databases and that can by searched by subject.

Research Guides

McFarlin has Research Guides for a variety of subjects.

Phases of Searching

Database searching is an iterative process, meaning you will repeat the process several times. As you search, you learn about your topic, including keywords and concepts, which may cause you to repeat your searches. Also, you may want to try the same search terms in a new database. In general, there are three phases of searching:

 

Exploratory Searching

This is when you test keywords and concepts to discover what kind of information is available. You will generally be searching in inter-disciplinary databases such as Academic Search Complete.

Subject-Oriented Searching

Here you will use subject specific databases, found in Research Guides, where your search will include key authors and publications.

Citation Searching

This is when you examine the references from the most appropriate articles to ensure you have found the key pieces of research in your topic. You will also want to look at the articles that have cited your list of most appropriate articles to determine what is currently happening in your topic. A Citation Database, such as Scopus, can help you find all the information you need for this phase of searching.

 

It is recommended you use a research log to track your key terms, databases, authors, etc.

Developing a Search Strategy

  1. Make a list of all the terms and synonyms for each key concept in your research question.

  2. If Advanced Search Boxes are available, utilize those to incorporate Boolean Operators into your search of key terms.

  3. If you need to enlarge your search, use truncation and wild cards, typically by using an asterisk (*) at the beginning or ending of your search term.

  4. Use the publication type and date limiters as needed.

  5. Do not limit your search by methodology or type of study as they are often indexed inconsistently and can make you miss important studies on your topic.

Reviewing Results Tips

  • Save your search results in a Citation Management Software, which will allow you to compile search results from multiple databases in one place. The University of Tulsa recommends using Zotero.

  • Using your Citation Management Software, de-duplicate your search results.

  • Ensure you have found the seminal pieces of research in your topic; these pieces have often been cited multiple times and is considered foundational to your topic.

  • Assess the journals to ensure they are scholarly as well as respected in the field.

  • You may always check with your professor or librarian to ensure your research is comprehensive.