How to Conduct Literature Search for Your Research Literature Review

One of the first steps of your research process after identifying your research problem is conducting the literature search. It is also important step that will help your to write your literature review.
Here are some steps on how to conduct a literature search:

Instructions

1. Work closely on your research problem and sub problems to identify more specific keywords. Brainstorm your research problem, write the sub problems and research questions that will help your to solve them. This will help your to identify narrower topics you need to read more about in order to conduct your research.

2. Find out related keywords for your research problem and sub problems.

3. Locate related literature. Start looking for your related sources with the keywords. Armed with keywords, you can start searching related literature in online databases and library catalogs. Identify the materials that you want to read through databases and library catalog.

4. Make searches with specific keywords in different types of catalogs and databases, and keep track of these searches, so you will not repeat the same search again.

5. Create the list of the desired sources that you need to read, always keep updating it.

6. Find your sources and look them over, make remarks on your sources list like found and used/ found, but comes out not to be helpful / not found.

7. Develop and maintain a systematic tool for recording relevant information. You can use bibliography cards for recording relevant information about each source that you locate and read. For recording your findings use the note cards. Make copies of the resources pages when it contains a lot of relevant information that will help your to address your research problem.