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Conducting a literature search

Step by step guide to developing an expert search strategy and conducting a literature review

About this guide

This guide will walk you through the steps of conducting a literature review. Whether you just need to find a few relevant sources or are planning to conduct a rigorous and comprehensive review, we have provided step-by-step instructions and tips. 

Roadmap for Evidence Synthesis: Formulation of a Research Question; Development of Literature Search Strategy; Identification & Selection of Studies; Critical Appraisal & Data Extraction; Synthesis & Interpretation of Data; Dissemination of Findings

Image from https://guides.nyu.edu/healthwriting/literature-reviews-synthesis-tools 

PubMed is used as a starting place for conducting literature searches throughout this guide, but these steps can and should be applied across multiple databases. 

See also:

Worksheet

To help you keep on track with your literature searches, the following downloadable worksheet has been designed to map to the content of this guide. To edit, you will need to make a copy. Then feel free to adjust to suit the parameters of your projects!