What's your topic?
Think about your topic. Identify the main concepts and themes. You may like to use mind mapping or AI such as Microsoft Copilot (or Google Gemini, ChatGPT) to help generate ideas.
It's a good idea to run test searches first using Library Search and Google Scholar for example. This helps you decide whether your topic is viable (is there enough written about it?). It is worth trying out several potential topics at this stage.
Please note that Copilot, Gemini and ChatGPT are not designed to identify genuine references and have been known to invent them (these are called 'hallucinations').
Refer to the AI Tools at University Guide for information on what is and is not allowed and whether you need to reference the AI tool.
Want to access journal articles you find on the Internet? Download the LibKey Nomad browser extension.
Step 1. Planning your search - work out your key concepts and keywords
This is a very important step in any search for literature or literature review.
You will not obtain good results if you search a database using your complete question or sentences. You need to identify the keywords or concepts to use for searching.
For example: What are the most effective ways for midwives to promote breastfeeding to mothers?
The key concepts for this question are: midwives, promotion and breastfeeding.
Step 2. Identify alternative search keywords
There could be alternative spellings, synonyms, plural or singular, broader or narrower terms etc. You may not need to use all of these in your search.
For example:
| Concept 1 | Concept 2 | Concept 3 |
| midwives | promote | breastfeeding |
| midwife | promotion | breast-feeding |
| midwifery | promoting | breast feeding |
| maternity | patient education |
Step 3. Search a database
See the Database tab of this guide for relevant databases.
Type each concept with your alternative keywords with an OR between. The AND is already between each row in the advanced search in a database like CINAHL.
CINAHL Search page Example:
Specialist Mapping Tools
In addition to databases, you may like to try specialist AI literature mapping tools, such as Research Rabbit, Litmaps or Connected Papers. Note that some require payment for premium (unlimited) usage. Given one paper (journal article) they will find related ones. Please note that they generally find articles which are freely available online and not the ones that require a subscription. The library will give you free access to many of these pay-for journal articles.
Literature reviews are a specific type of methodology for presenting the literature and research on a topic. Many research articles and reports will include a review of the existing literature.
A literature review should show:
•What is known about your topic – the existing literature, evidence and research on the topic
•What is not known / uncertainties
•Where the priorities for research lie – the gaps
•Provide a framework for where your research is positioned
Knowing what you want to keep/exclude early on in your searching will help you stay focused on the topic and will save time.
If you are doing a literature review you may be required to include this criteria in the appendix of your assignment.
| Inclusion | Exclusion |
| 2017 - present | Pre 2017 |
| Articles in English | Other languages |
| Primary research | Other types of research |
| Peer-reviewed | Not peer reviewed |
| UK and comparable countries (listed) | Non-comparable countries |
| Full text available via ARU or on request | Full text unavailable |
Boolean operators
Most databases allow you to search using Boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT). These allow you to narrow, broaden or restrict your search to improve your results.
OR allows you to widen your search to include alternative terms and return a greater number of results
e.g. A search for "hand hygiene" OR handwashing will return results which contain either of these key words.
AND allows you to narrow your search and make your results more specific
e.g. A search for "hand hygiene" AND midwifery will only contain results which contain both of these keywords.
NOT allows you to exclude results based on keywords. You should use NOT with caution as it can remove potentially useful results.
e.g. A search for childbirth NOT caesarean will return results for childbirth and exclude any which include the key word caesarean.
Phrase searching
Use speech marks (quotation marks) " " around words to search for phrases.
e.g. "infection control" or "hand washing"
Truncation
This technique allows you to search for all variations of a word from a common root
e.g. communicat* will find communication, communicating and communicate.
child* will find child, children, childhood etc...
Wildcards
Allows you to replace one or more letters in a word so that you can search for variations in spelling
e.g. wom?n will find both woman and women
PICO is a tool which you can use to plan your search more effectively.
P = Patient or problem
What is the medical condition or social problem? Who is the patient or client? e.g. age, sex, race
I = Intervention
Is there a treatment, service or solution you want to investigate?
C = Comparison
Is there a different intervention which you can compare it to? This may be missed, especially if there is no alternative.
O = Outcome
What is the planned outcome or consequence?
