Literature Searching and Reviews

To conduct a literature search, it is important to identify, divide and structure keywords into correct search blocks. You can then create lists of keywords. If you have used a conceptualization model (e.g. the PICO model), this can help you to identify the most important elements for your search.

A systematic literature search requires knowledge of the databases and their controlled keywords. In addition, you need to find words for free text searches (e.g. from title, abstract and keyword). You need to know how each database works and which search techniques are available.

Under controlled keywords such as MeSH in PubMed/Medline or Subject Terms in Academic Search Premier, you may be referred to several keywords that can be used in the free text search. You can also get inspiration for keywords when you read abstracts from relevant reviews. For example, you can find them through quick searches in the Cochrane Library or Campbell's systematic reviews.

It's important to use enough keywords in a literature search as authors may use different words for the same topic.

Different databases have different collections of controlled keywords (thesaurus) and the same word can mean different things depending on the subject area. It is important that you choose the right databases to find the relevant thesauri and that you document where you found which search terms. It may also be relevant to get help from an information specialist/librarian. The SDU library have courses for staff and students that may be relevant in this regard.
Tagged keywords from relevant articles may be useful as well - it is show which keywords the database has specified  (tagged in the article) and which keywords the author has specified for the article. Search techniques.