Conducting a

Literature Search

Nola du Toit

Center for Family and Demographic Research

Workshop Series
Spring 2008
What is a Literature Search?
“A literature search is a well thought out
and organized search for all of the
literature published on a topic. A well-
structured literature search is the most
effective and efficient way to locate
sound evidence on the subject you are
researching. Evidence may be found in
books, journals, government documents
and the internet.”1
Purpose of a Literature Search

 Broadens your knowledge on a topic

 Shows your skill at finding relevant

information

 Allows for critical appraisal of research

What is your question?

 Create a chart with possible key words

 Stay focused
 Unmarried fertility = out-of-wedlock
childbearing = single mothers = non-
marital births
Search Strategy

 Set limits on your search

 What is your perspective?
 What is your contribution?

 Check syllabi
 Who are the big players?
Search Tools

 Truncated search words

 Marr* = married, marriage, marry

 Boolean logic
 Use OR, NOT, AND
Types of Literature

1. Research Journals

 Articles

 Reviews/commentaries/replies

 Reviews
Types of Literature

2. Books

 Topic books

 Handbooks

 Theory books
Types of Literature

3. Online reports

 Census

 Research institutes

 Government organizations
Sources of Literature

1. Library

 Hard copies of books and journals

 Interlibrary loan

 Online library
 BGSU
Library
Homepage

1. Academic
Search
Complete

2. Search by
journal
name

3. BGSU
catalog

4. OhioLINK
catalog
 Academic
Search
Complete

Type in search
word

Limit by
context (author,
title, etc)

Add more
search criteria
Add to folder

Click on the
title opens the
abstract.

Number of
times cited in
database

Narrow by
subject

Find It!
Open link to
find full text
version of
article

If it is not
online, check
to see if it is
on the shelf
Search for
a specific
journal

Enter journal
title or search
by subject
Provides
links to full
text version
of articles

CHECK
DATES!!!!
OhioLINK

Search by
keyword,
author, etc
Pick a book
and click on
title
See if BGSU
has a copy

If not, request
the item
Sources of Literature

2. Internet

 Online journals
 “Google Scholar”

 Websites
 Government departments, research
institutes, etc
 Google
Scholar

Can search
for books and
articles

Can do an
advanced
search
Title links to
abstract and
possible source
of full text

“Find it with
OLinks” links to
full text version

Link to articles
that cited the
work

Link to related
articles
Now what?
Critique the Literature

 Is it relevant to my research?

 Is the study significant?

 Strengths and weaknesses

 What theories or methods are used?

Critique the Literature

 Is the research biased by emotions or

public opinion?

 Who is the target reader?

 Public, academic peers, policy makers
The CFDR can help!
 Thank you!

 Sources
 http://www.nursingtimes.net/ntclinical/how_to_conduct_a_literatu
re_search.html
 http://newadonis.creighton.edu/HSL/Guides/Lit-Review.html
 http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/litrev.html