literature search table

Literature Review Basics

• What is a Literature Review?
• Synthesizing Research
• Using Research & Synthesis Tables
• Additional Resources

About the Research and Synthesis Tables

Research Tables and Synthesis Tables are useful tools for organizing and analyzing your research as you assemble your literature review. They represent two different parts of the review process: assembling relevant information and synthesizing it. Use a Research table to compile the main info you need about the items you find in your research -- it's a great thing to have on hand as you take notes on what you read! Then, once you've assembled your research, use the Synthesis table to start charting the similarities/differences and major themes among your collected items.

We've included an Excel file with templates for you to use below; the examples pictured on this page are snapshots from that file.

• Research and Synthesis Table Templates This Excel workbook includes simple templates for creating research tables and synthesis tables. Feel free to download and use!

Using the Research Table

This is an example of a  research table,  in which you provide a basic description of the most important features of the studies, articles, and other items you discover in your research. The table identifies each item according to its author/date of publication, its purpose or thesis, what type of work it is (systematic review, clinical trial, etc.), the level of evidence it represents (which tells you a lot about its impact on the field of study), and its major findings. Your job, when you assemble this information, is to develop a snapshot of what the research shows about the topic of your research question and assess its value (both for the purpose of your work and for general knowledge in the field).

Think of your work on the research table as the foundational step for your analysis of the literature, in which you assemble the information you'll be analyzing and lay the groundwork for thinking about what it means and how it can be used.

Using the Synthesis Table

This is an example of a  synthesis table  or  synthesis matrix , in which you organize and analyze your research by listing each source and indicating whether a given finding or result occurred in a particular study or article ( each row lists an individual source, and each finding has its own column, in which X = yes, blank = no). You can also add or alter the columns to look for shared study populations, sort by level of evidence or source type, etc. The key here is to use the table to provide a simple representation of what the research has found (or not found, as the case may be). Think of a synthesis table as a tool for making comparisons, identifying trends, and locating gaps in the literature.

How do I know which findings to use, or how many to include?  Your research question tells you which findings are of interest in your research, so work from your research question to decide what needs to go in each Finding header, and how many findings are necessary. The number is up to you; again, you can alter this table by adding or deleting columns to match what you're actually looking for in your analysis. You should also, of course, be guided by what's actually present in the material your research turns up!

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• Last Updated: Sep 26, 2023 12:06 PM
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• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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MSU Libraries

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Nursing Literature and Other Types of Reviews

• Literature and Other Types of Reviews
• Starting Your Search
• Constructing Your Search
• Selecting Databases and Saving Your Search
• Levels of Evidence
• Creating a PRISMA Table
• Literature Table and Synthesis
• Other Resources

About Literature Tables and Writing a Synthesis

A literature table is a way to organize the articles you've selected for inclusion in your publication. There are many different types of literature tables-the main thing is to determine the important pieces that help draw out the comparisons and contrasts between the articles included in your review. The first few columns should include the basic info about the article (title, authors, journal), publication year, and the purpose of the paper.

While the table is a step to help you organize the articles you've selected for your research, the literature synthesis can take many forms and can have multiple parts. This largely depends on what type of review you've undertaken. Look back at the examples under Literature and Other Types of Reviews to see examples of different types of reviews.

• Example of Literature Table

Examples of Literature Tables

Camak, D.J. (2015), Addressing the burden of stroke caregivers: a literature review. J Clin Nurs, 24: 2376-2382. doi: 10.1111/jocn.12884

Balcombe, L., Miller, C., & McGuiness, W. (2017). Approaches to the application and removal of compression therapy: A literature review. British Journal of Community Nursing , 22 , S6–S14. https://doi-org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/10.12968/bjcn.2017.22.Sup10.S6

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• Next: Other Resources >>
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• v.109(1); 2021 Jan 1

Use of a search summary table to improve systematic review search methods, results, and efficiency

Alison c. bethel.

1 [email protected] , Information Specialist, Evidence Synthesis Team, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom

Morwenna Rogers

2 [email protected] , Evidence Synthesis Team, National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom

Rebecca Abbott

3 [email protected] , Evidence Synthesis Team, National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula,, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom

Associated Data

Background:.

Systematic reviews are comprehensive, robust, inclusive, transparent, and reproducible when bringing together the evidence to answer a research question. Various guidelines provide recommendations on the expertise required to conduct a systematic review, where and how to search for literature, and what should be reported in the published review. However, the finer details of the search results are not typically reported to allow the search methods or search efficiency to be evaluated.

Case Presentation:

This case study presents a search summary table, containing the details of which databases were searched, which supplementary search methods were used, and where the included articles were found. It was developed and published alongside a recent systematic review. This simple format can be used in future systematic reviews to improve search results reporting.

Conclusions:

Publishing a search summary table in all systematic reviews would add to the growing evidence base about information retrieval, which would help in determining which databases to search for which type of review (in terms of either topic or scope), what supplementary search methods are most effective, what type of literature is being included, and where it is found. It would also provide evidence for future searching and search methods research.

Systematic reviews are designed to be comprehensive, robust, inclusive, transparent, and reproducible when bringing together the evidence to answer a research question. Depending on the field and topic, they may be large and time consuming with many included studies, or they can contain no relevant studies at all, finding that the area urgently requires primary research [ 1 ]. The timescales to publication can vary widely [ 2 ], and some systematic reviews are regularly updated, particularly if there is new relevant evidence in the field being researched [ 3 ]. However, research consistently shows that search strategies are not recorded well enough to allow them to be reproduced [ 4 – 6 ].

Systematic review guidelines recommend that the systematic review team include expertise in systematic review methods, including information retrieval [ 7 – 10 ]. Information retrieval is a core competency for librarians and information specialists who are involved in systematic reviews [ 11 ], and having a librarian or information specialist as part of the team is associated with significantly higher-quality search strategies [ 12 ]. The role of a librarian or information specialist in a systematic review can vary, ranging from the more limited role of checking searches written by others in the team to taking on many, if not all, aspects of search development and information retrieval [ 7 , 9 , 13 ].

Once a protocol is in place, one of the first tasks undertaken by the librarian or information specialist is to create search strategies for the predefined bibliographic databases listed in the protocol. Ideally, this task is then followed up by supplementary searching, such as forward and backward citation searching or table of contents searching in journals that are relevant to the topic [ 14 ]. Searching for grey literature is also recognized as an important part of a comprehensive search strategy for systematic reviews, and previous literature describes which resources are best suited to finding it and the contribution it can make to a systematic review [ 15 – 18 ]. Finally, depending on how long the systematic review takes to publication, update searches may also be part of the process [ 3 ].

Guidelines and guidance for conducting systematic reviews are available from various organizations, including Cochrane, the Campbell Collaboration, the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, and the Joanna Briggs Institute. These guidelines all include some detail about how the searching should be undertaken, but there is no clear consensus about how many or which databases should be searched. Similarly, tools for assessing the quality of systematic reviews vary somewhat in their recommendations of what reviewers should look for in the search methods. Table 1 highlights a few of the different guidelines and checklists for undertaking, reporting, and appraising the searching component of systematic reviews, organized by the tool or author or organization.

Recommendations for systematic review searching from guidelines and checklists

As well as understanding where and how to search for information, it is important to understand how well the search strategies perform. Cooper et al. suggest there are six summative metrics of search effectiveness: sensitivity, specificity, precision, accuracy, number needed to read (NNR), and yield [ 23 ]. However, while there are suggested standards for reporting search methods and strategies [ 24 – 26 ], there currently are no requirements to report on these effectiveness metrics. Some research has been published on search effectiveness, but this research seems to be restricted to systematic reviews of certain conditions [ 27 – 32 ] or from specific organizations [ 33 – 35 ]. By reporting search effectiveness as well as search methods in more detail, evidence about information retrieval would accumulate, which could then inform guidelines about how many and which databases to search and which supplementary search methods to use for particular topics or types of evidence synthesis.

The aim of this study was to develop a search summary table (SST) that could report on search methods as well as search effectiveness. The authors demonstrate what an SST could look like and how it can be used. In the suggested SST, the only metric not covered by Cooper et al. [ 23 ] is “specificity,” because this requires a known number of references (e.g., when developing a search filter).

CASE PRESENTATION

The SST was tested by the Evidence Synthesis Team at the University of Exeter in a systematic review, “‘They've Walked the Walk': A Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence for Parent-to-Parent Support for Parents of Babies in the Neonatal Unit” by Hunt et al. [ 36 ]. The database search strategies used for the review are provided in supplemental Appendix A , and a blank SST template is provided in supplemental Appendix B .

Completion of a search summary table (SST)

The SST was completed in two stages. In stage one, all the references that were downloaded or exported from every electronic database, including all duplicates, were recorded and saved in an EndNote library. Every record included a code for the database name where the record was found. As per traditional systematic review methods, the number of records screened at both the title-and-abstract stage and full-text stage were recorded as well as the final number of included references and which supplementary search methods were undertaken. Stage two involved rerunning the searches in those databases where most included references had been found in order to discover whether references that were not found during the original search were in the database and, if they were, whether they were retrieved by the search.

The SST presents the search information used to inform the PRISMA flow diagram, the search methods, and additional information gathered by the librarian or information specialist in their search log. Completion of stage one took approximately forty minutes and completion of stage two approximately one hour. Using this format to present the information allows calculation of various search effectiveness metrics.

Table 2 shows the key features of the SST. The first five metrics (numbered 1 to 5) are summative metrics of effective searching suggested by Cooper et al. [ 23 ]. Three additional metrics (numbered 6 to 8) provide further useful search-related information for the librarian or information specialist.

Metrics used in the search summary table (SST)

Sensitivity/recall and precision calculations are given in the SST for each database searched and overall, using the total number of references that have been found from database searching, the number of included (i.e., relevant) references from database searching, and the total number of included (i.e., relevant) references from all search methods. Reporting these metrics in this manner shows the effectiveness of search strategies for each individual database as well as database searching as a whole.

NNR usually indicates the number of references needed to screen at the title and abstract stage to find one included reference. However, the value of splitting this metric into two additional metrics can be seen: (1) number needed to screen (NNS), which is the number of references that needed to be screened during title and abstract screening to identify one reference to undergo full-text screening; and (2) number needed to read at full text (NNR FT), which is the number of references that needed to be read during full-text screening to include one reference in the systematic review. Reporting these three metrics separately increases the transparency of the searching and selection process.

Table 3 shows the SST for Hunt et al.'s systematic review [ 36 ].

Completed SST for Hunt et al.'s systematic review, ‘“They've Walked the Walk': A Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence for Parent-To-Parent Support for Parents of Babies in Neonatal Care” [ 36 ]

Codes: x=found from the search; y=in database, found when search strategy rerun; n=not in the database; z=in the database, not found using the search strategy; qL=qualitative; qT=quantitative.

Format codes: jnl=journal article; ths=PhD thesis.

Supplementary search codes: fcs=forward citation search; bcs=backward citation search; hs=hand search; wss=website search; org=from contacting organizations.

Databases listed: ASSIA=Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts; BNI=British Nursing Index; HMIC=Health Management Information Consortium; PQDT=ProQuest Dissertations and Theses; SPP=Social Policy and Practice; WoS=Web of Science.

Contextual consideration of the findings

Key findings can be surmised from the metrics reported in the SST for this example systematic review, which involved a search for both qualitative and quantitative evidence.

Grey literature.

Two doctoral (PhD) theses were included in the systematic review, and both were found by searching in PsycINFO. One was also found by searching CINAHL. This was surprising, because grey literature searching is often seen as separate from the database searching process, yet these theses were found by searching bibliographic databases as opposed to Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Search strategy comprehensiveness.

Three included references were found from citation searching, two of which were in both EMBASE and MEDLINE but were not retrieved by the database search strategies. If the search strategies had included the free-text search term “council*” ( supplemental Appendix A ), then these references would have been retrieved. This was an extremely valuable learning point for the information specialist in the team and reaffirmed the purpose of supplementary searching.

Unique references.

The only database to retrieve unique references (n=2) was PsycINFO, demonstrating the high degree of duplication among bibliographic databases.

Supplementary searching.

Hand searching, website searching, and organization searching was carried out but found no additional relevant references. Although forward citation searching found two additional relevant references, both of these (and a third additional relevant reference) were also found by backward citation searching. The time spent on these methods of supplementary searching was not recorded but might be useful in the future.

Qualitative references.

The CINAHL search retrieved only two of the eight qualitative references and did not retrieve any unique qualitative references. This was surprising, because previous research showed that this database was a good source of qualitative studies [ 37 ].

Quantitative references.

All the quantitative references were found from searching MEDLINE and citation searching.

Number needed to read.

Reporting the overall NNR as well as splitting this metric into two metrics—NNS and NNR FT—allowed more accurate and transparent reporting of the screening stages. Concerning the NNS, for every thirty-nine references that underwent title and abstract screening, one underwent full-text screening. Concerning the NNR, for every ten references read in full-text screening, one was included in the systematic review.

Often MEDLINE and EMBASE are suggested as the basic minimum for searching on health care topics [ 7 , 19 ]; however, in this case, neither database provided unique records, although MEDLINE had higher sensitivity and precision than EMBASE. For this particular systematic review, searching MEDLINE and PsycINFO along with backward citation searching would have found all of the included references. If this had been done, then the maximum number of references to screen would have been 2,835 (total number of references downloaded), a reduction of over 1,600.

The optimal number of databases that need to be searched varies depending on the review question. However, it is commonly agreed that searching only one database is not sufficient, and supplementary searching in some form is also needed. In this case, backwards citation searching found additional studies.

An SST can report data related to database and search performance and effectiveness in terms of sensitivity, precision, recall, NNR, yield, and number of unique records. Furthermore, additional information gathered during supplementary searching (e.g., citation searching and hand-searching) indicates the effectiveness of search strategies for individual databases and which methods of supplementary searching were most useful. This information could allow librarians and information specialists to be more selective when choosing databases and supplementary search methods. Publishing an SST as part of a systematic review would help to develop and make more explicit, rather than tacit, the model of the literature search process as described by Cooper et al. [ 38 ].

Future systematic reviews on a similar condition or population could use a related SST that is already available, either in-house or one that has been published, to enable a more evidence-based approach to database and search methods selection. For rapid reviews [ 39 ] and scoping reviews [ 40 ], in which searching might not be as exhaustive, this information could provide evidence about where to focus the search. SSTs would be particularly valuable in updating a systematic review [ 3 ]; if, for example, two databases that are always searched consistently do not contain any of the included studies, then perhaps they need not be searched in the future.

An SST only provides evidence for one particular systematic review; teams using them for future systematic reviews might not be fully confident that the same results would be produced for their specific questions. However, if all systematic reviews completed and published an SST as standard, then there would be more evidence available for making evidence-based decisions on which databases to search, which supplementary search methods would be most valuable, and which search strategies and terms would find the most relevant references for specific questions. Broad generalizations on searching cannot be made until more SSTs are available, but they can still be a valuable learning tool for all those involved in searching for systematic reviews, as their creation requires reflection on what was done and why, which can be carried on into the next systematic review. SSTs can also provide evidence for other purposes of searching, such as update searches [ 3 ] or scoping and preliminary searches [ 40 ].

SSTs can be useful to librarians and information specialists in several ways. First, for individuals who are new to the topic area or to systematic reviews, they provide a valuable source of evidence on which to base database and search method choices and recommendations. Second, they provide evidence about which databases are essential for undertaking specific systematic reviews, which could be useful for groups or individuals in negotiating database access with their institutions. Third, SSTs could help librarians and information specialists audit their database selections and search strategies, as they would show whether a database contains a reference and whether it would be captured by their search strategy. Fourth, a librarian or information specialist's knowledge would be built up more quickly, because completing an SST would help them reflect on their search strategies, search methods, and database selection.

Another area in which SSTs could be useful is in search methods and information retrieval research. If SSTs are published as part of a systematic review, then the searching becomes more transparent, replicable, and open, which is a fundamental component of good quality systematic reviews. Librarians and information specialists could use the data provided in SSTs to perform more thorough analyses on where studies are likely to be found and which databases suit particular topics. Trends might be observed, such as country-specific biases in database selection and use, and knowledge about specific databases could be shared in an easy format.

One specific area for monitoring is grey literature. By reviewing and analyzing SSTs, librarians and information specialists would be able to determine the extent to which grey literature publications are included in systematic reviews and how they are found, which would help to focus search time and energy. Future research following from this project may include finding a simple way to retrospectively evaluate search strategies, which could help improve future search strategy or search methods development or aid in the creation of a repository where all SSTs could be shared and accessed.

Cooper et al.'s systematic review identified fifty studies of the effectiveness of literature searching, which was a representative sample of the available literature [ 23 ]. SSTs would add to this literature and help move forward the discussion about what constitutes an effective search for a systematic review.

The SST is a simple way to collate the search information generated from a systematic review. Creating and reporting an SST as part of a systematic review would add to the knowledgebase on database selection and supplementary search methods and provide evidence for future searching and search methods research.

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Common Assignments: Literature Review Matrix

Literature review matrix.

As you read and evaluate your literature there are several different ways to organize your research. Courtesy of Dr. Gary Burkholder in the School of Psychology, these sample matrices are one option to help organize your articles. These documents allow you to compile details about your sources, such as the foundational theories, methodologies, and conclusions; begin to note similarities among the authors; and retrieve citation information for easy insertion within a document.

You can review the sample matrixes to see a completed form or download the blank matrix for your own use.

• Literature Review Matrix 1 This PDF file provides a sample literature review matrix.
• Literature Review Matrix 2 This PDF file provides a sample literature review matrix.
• Literature Review Matrix Template (Word)
• Literature Review Matrix Template (Excel)

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How to undertake a literature search: a step-by-step guide

Affiliation.

• 1 Literature Search Specialist, Library and Archive Service, Royal College of Nursing, London.
• PMID: 32279549
• DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2020.29.7.431

Undertaking a literature search can be a daunting prospect. Breaking the exercise down into smaller steps will make the process more manageable. This article suggests 10 steps that will help readers complete this task, from identifying key concepts to choosing databases for the search and saving the results and search strategy. It discusses each of the steps in a little more detail, with examples and suggestions on where to get help. This structured approach will help readers obtain a more focused set of results and, ultimately, save time and effort.

Keywords: Databases; Literature review; Literature search; Reference management software; Research questions; Search strategy.

• Databases, Bibliographic*
• Information Storage and Retrieval / methods*
• Nursing Research
• Review Literature as Topic*