Literature Searching and Reviews

There are many different purposes for conducting a literature search or writing a review, for example to:

• Identify types of available evidence or all evidence in a given field
• Clarify definitions/concepts in the literature in the field
• Examine how research is conducted in a given topic or area
• Identify key characteristics or factors related to a concept
• Identify and analyze knowledge gaps

The scope of the literature search associated with a review depends on the type.

The core of the literature search is the same, but the scope of the search and the amount of desired results depends on your level, if you are a student or a researcher. A bachelor project doesn't require nearly as much material as a research outline for a PhD thesis, but regardless of level, it's important to find the most relevant materials for your problem statement or research question. Likewise, the amount of material you need also depends on the type of review - in the Humanities and Social Sciences, for example, it is important to be able to find the key texts in your field and "position yourself" in relation to them.