SPRING 2003

CONDUCTING A LITERATURE SEARCH

The literature search is a critical element of the research process, the purpose of which is to:

reveal existing knowledge
identify areas of consensus and debate
identify gaps in knowledge
identify approaches to research design and methodology
identify other researchers with similar interests
clarify your future directions for research

Interdisciplinary dimensions of your potential topic

Before beginning a preliminary search of the literature, first consider the disciplines that impact your broad concepts.  For example,  education policy related to the workforce will almost certainly, in addition to education literature, require an examination of some combination of business literature, corporate literature, psychology literature, government publications, literature from public policy agencies and think tanks, and more.  Each of these disciplines and ‘generators’ of information will focus on different dimensions of your project, and the resulting breadth will provide a comprehensive perspective for your consideration.  Premature exclusion of a potential information ‘generator’ and subject discipline may result in an incomplete study of the topic.

Research as a cyclical, recursive process

Research is not a linear process.  Rather, it is a cyclical, recursive process that reflects the thinking process, whereby new information results in new knowledge and understanding.  The iterative nature of research causes ideas to be revisited as they have been influenced by new information.  Necessarily, then, literature searches must be conducted not just once, but rather multiple times throughout the process for different purposes.  It is common for researchers to execute the same search in the same database at a later date for the purpose of re-examining the same results from a more informed perspective. 

Three phases of a literature search

1] Broad scan

This first search serves to generate ideas and select a “working topic”.  Read to increase knowledge of content and methodologies.  Rather than first looking for specific citations, a preliminary literature is more a scanning process than a detailed, comprehensive examination.  At this stage, the existing literature is your guide to determining the extent of research, present understandings, practices, and conclusions.  Likewise, it is the vehicle to determine gaps in research.  It is also the most reliable way to examine dimensions of a topic that the researcher may have not initially considered and which can expand the idea generation process.  This phase of a literature search should be a stimulating exploration of the entire field to guide the researcher to identification of a ‘working topic’.  The ‘working topic’ is a flexible concept that supports continuous adjustment as new information is gathered and incorporated.  One effective technique to establish a working topic is to lay out significant ideas using a concept map to create a visual representation of the relationships among concepts. 

2] Inquiry; to note existing knowledge

This phase serves to answer more focused questions. What are the major issues? Where are the gaps or controversies?  Who are major authors?  What can be found to support a research problem? 

3] Comprehensive critique

This phase concerns the assessment of specific works, with detailed analyze of trends, concurrence and disagreements, and includes firm evidence to support the research problem.

Steps in conducting a literature search

1. based on your research problem / thesis statement,   write out the questions you need to ask
2. identify the types of resources best used to answer the question
3. identify the specific titles of  resources that can answer the question
4. identify the specific databases
5. Search as appropriate:  books, articles, dissertations/theses, papers, etc.
6. Follow the bibliographies of works that are relevant; look at what the authors are citing.
7. Evaluate what you have found:
   • Are you finding too much research? Then narrow down the topic.
   • Are you not finding enough research? Make sure that you are looking in the right area; broaden the topic if need be.
   • Look for groupings in the literature: keywords, key authors, debates.
8. Revise your search or focus in on groupings you have found.

Some additional ideas are found in

The Literature Review: A Few Tips On Conducting It
International Institute for Sustainable Development.  Literature review and key informants interviews                 

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