Subject and Course Guides: Building Research Confidence Unworkshop Series: Part V Organized Approaches to Reviewing the Literature

Session Overview

There is real value in using organized, intentional approaches to inform and guide the development of your research, including how to identify, keep track of, make sense of, and work across the scholarly literature on a topic. Attend this unworkshop to hear and share about tips, tools, and strategies for organized approaches to reviewing the literature.

Tools

There are many tools to help you develop a search strategy, and we've highlighted a few below. Searching and evaluating the literature will become easier as your understanding of the topic evolves, and there are many more techniques and strategies than shown here. These tools are just some to help you be more intentional in your process.

8 Steps Worksheet
This easy to use worksheet walks you through Knopf's (2006) eight key steps for searching and reviewing the literature. It includes examples and supplemental links.
8 Steps Search Tracking Matrix
A spreadsheet for keeping track of your search terms and results, aligned with Knopf's (2006) eight steps.
SAGE Project Planner: Reviewing the Literature
The Project Planner simplifies the literature review process, explaining the importance and how to differentiate between the types of literature available.

Cochrane Library This link opens in a new window
Evidence-based healthcare information. Includes the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Cochrane Clinical Answers. (Full-Text)

Getting Help

Find your librarian
UNL Librarians are available to consult with you on your specific research needs. Schedule an appointment with your librarian to help develop your search strategy.
Writing Center Consultants
Undergraduate and graduate Writing Consultants work with writers at all levels, from all disciplines, at all stages of the writing process.

Bibliography

A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies (Grant & Booth, 2009)
This article describes the most common types of reviews, with illustrative examples from health and health information domains.
How Should I Select, Read and Review the Literature?
Cooksey, R., & McDonald, G. (2019). Surviving and Thriving in Postgraduate Research.
Doing a Literature Review (Knopf, 2006)
Students entering a graduate program often encounter a new type of assignment that differs from the papers they had to write in high school or as college undergraduates: the literature review (also known as a critical review essay). Put briefly, a literature review summarizes and evaluates a body of writings about a specific topic.
The systematic literature review method: Trials and tribulations of electronic database searching at doctoral level (O'Brien & McGuckin, 2016)
This case study highlights the advantages and disadvantages associated with the systematic review method, as well as the key steps in the electronic database searching for others to implement in their own work.
Environmental sustainability in the service industry of transportation and logistics service providers: Systematic literature review and research directions
An example of a published literature review performed using two academic databases spanning the years 1960–2014.
An introduction to literature reviews [Streaming video].
Advice from sociology researchers on how to write a literature review.

Building Research Confidence Unworkshop Series

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Life Sciences & Biomedical Librarian

Session Overview

Tools

Getting Help

Bibliography