Project Formulation CSP600

LITERATURE REVIEW:

Literature Search (LS)

Dr Siti Khatijah Nor Abdul Rahim Universiti Teknologi MARA

What is a Literature Search?

• Literature Search
• is a study of information and publications on a specific topic
• is an important part of your research project

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• Before writing any scientific article, we have to be aware of all the literature that exists around your specific topic.

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How To Do A Good Literature Search?

The BASIC STEPS:

• 1) Know HOW and WHERE to find the relevant sources
• 2) After you found them, set up a system to organize all the

literature you have read

• 3) Once you have selected all the relevant literature, use it to ground your research
• 4) Review what you have done, to make sure your search was efficient and the outcome of your writing is purposeful

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Working With Literature

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Literature Search (O’Leary, 2004)

Why Should You Do A Literature Search?

Based on Hart, 2000 and Booth & Dixon-Woods, 'How to do a literature

search’:

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• You will know what research on your topic is already done. You might find gaps in existing knowledge, so your research will be unique.

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• You will find variations in terminology, you will acquire the subject vocabulary and you will be able to define your own terminology.

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Why Should You Do A Literature Search?

• You will establish the context of your topic.

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• You can gain a new perspective by synthesizing the literature.

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• You can learn from existing research: for example methodologies and research techniques that have been used, errors that have been made.

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• Tip: If you search in different disciplines, you will have a broader understanding of your topic and methodologies.

How To Do A Literature Search?

Based on: Hart, 2001 and RGU, 'How to do a literature search’:

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• 1. Define your topic: what is your main topic?
• Formulate good questions: separate main from secondary questions.

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• 2. Choose your keywords, they will define your search.
• Think about synonyms, international terms, …

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• 3. Limit your search: which information is useful?
• You can set limits for the subject, publication date, geographic restrictions, language and population.

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• You can also use Boolean terms when you’re searching: if you put ‘AND’ between two keywords, the search engine will only give you the results of the combination of those two words. ‘OR’ between keywords will give you the results of all the keywords, ‘NOT’ will leave out the results of a keyword.

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• 4. Decide about the type of information you want and the information resources you will use.
• You can use for example books, journal articles and government papers.

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• Which libraries, online search engines, online journal databases, … will you use to find

information?

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• 5. Set up a system to record the results of your search.
• For example: EndNote, Mendeley, etc

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• 6. Search the literature.
• When you’re searching literature, ask yourself the following questions:

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• Are you consulting different sources?

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• Many electronic search engines exist, are you using them

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• Are you consulting a primary, a secondary or an alternative source?

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• How relevant is the source to your needs?

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• Is your topic the major focus of this source?

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• How current is your source?

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• Have recent developments made any parts of your source date? Does your source cite

information from earlier work? Is this information still sound?

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• How reliable is your source?

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• 7. Review your search: did you find all the relevant information?
• (based on Raemdonck & Valcke 2003)

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• Do you have enough International resources?

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• Do you have enough sources that treat specifically your source?

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• Did you search in a systematic way?

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• Do you have sources of the different types? Enough primary sources?

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How To Do A Literature Search?

• Do you have enough recent publications?
• If you're not sure you found all the relevant information, maybe you should check other sources or choose other keywords.

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References

• http://www.library.american.edu/Help/tutorials/lit_review/it_is.html
• http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews/
• http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html
• http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/answering
• http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/educators/how-to-conduct- an-effective-and-valid-literature-search/217252.article
• http://www.ctu.edu.vn/guidelines/scientific/scientific/2.1howliteraturesearch.htm
• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/litsrch.html
• http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/StudyResources/Essays/sta- startinglitreview.aspx

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Thank you

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THANKS

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