How do you write a literature search strategy?
What is a search strategy?
- define and write down your research question – what is it that you are going to research?
- identify, and keep a record of key words, terms and phrases.
- identify keyword synonyms, use database Thesauri or Subject Headings;
- determine a timeframe from your research, if needed.
What are some search strategies?
- Choose search terms.
- Search with keywords.
- Search for the exact phrase.
- Truncation and wildcard searches.
- Use adjacency searching for more accurate results.
- Searching with subject headings.
- Use Boolean logic to combine search terms.
- Citation searching.
How do you record a literature search?
Record your search
- Create a document listing all the keywords and subject headings you need for your search.
- Save your search strategy from each database – use the workspace in each database to save your final search. Or simply print it out.
- You’ll find it helpful to keep a simple spreadsheet recording the databases you have searched.
What is a literature review strategy?
The literature review is a critical look at the existing research that is significant to the work that you are carrying out. This overview identifies prominent research trends in addition to assessing the overall strengths and weaknesses of the existing research.
What is literature search methodology?
Literature search is a systematic and well-organised search from the already published data to identify a breadth of good quality references on a specific topic. Once we have narrowed down the problem, seeking and analysing existing literature may further straighten out the research approach.
How do you write a methodology?
- Step 1: Explain your methodological approach. Begin by introducing your overall approach to the research.
- Step 2: Describe your methods of data collection and/or selection.
- Step 3: Describe your methods of analysis.
- Step 4: Evaluate and justify your methodological choices.