Hints and Tips on doing a Literature Search
These are some hints and tips on conducting a literature search when seeking background information for research write-ups. These reflect my personal methods of doing this and this document does not necessarily describe the best approach - just one that works for me.
Using Word
Open a word document and use it to keep track of the key words you have used and which databases you have used them in. This saves unnecessary duplication of searches and helps you keep your literature search structured. Also, copy and paste references and abstracts from the search pages into this document as you find them, along with any thoughts about how this links in with the topic you are researching and how you might use this in your write-up.
Use Alt-Tab
Personally, I like to have separate browser windows open for PsycINFO, EBSCO EJS, EBSCO databases, the LRC OPAC and any other on-line resources I am using at the time. As well as this I have a word document open to keep track of what I am doing and to paste references and abstracts into (see above). Managing all these open windows may sound like a nightmare but you can use [Alt]+[Tab] to jump between the different windows while keeping all of them open at the same time.
Use Brackets and Boolean Search Terms
When searching, quite often one term will not do. I tend to keep complex search strings available at the top of my open word document such as:
("male" OR "female" OR "gender" OR "sex") or
("personality" OR "individual difference" OR "neuroticism") or
("mother" OR "parent" OR "care-giver" OR "caregiver" OR "care giver")
These can be copy and pasted together to form complex searches and so make sure you don't miss anything important.
e.g.
("male" OR "female" OR "gender" OR "sex") AND ("personality" OR "individual difference" OR "neuroticism")
Be Creative with your Search Terms
Different people use different terms for the same thing. For example, in the area of adult attachment, individuals who are anxiously attached may be referred to as:
("preoccupied" AND "anxious/ambivalent" AND "anxious/resistant")
Try to think creatively about alternative terms for the thing you are looking for. If you were looking for "stress", for example, there just might be a whole alternative literature under the search term "hassles"
Be Patient
Quite often you will get a whole list of references back from PsycINFO or whatever database you are using. If it's a huge list, it makes sense to refine or add to your search term to be a bit more specific about what you are looking for. However, no search term, no matter how complex, will ever take you straight to the perfect list of articles for your particular interest. Invariably, you end up looking through a long list of references to sort out the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes it can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack but I've often found important references just as I was about to give up.
Track down CVs
If you find a recent paper in a certain area, in PsycINFO you can click on an author's name to get all other publications by that author. Alternatively, check out their institutional affiliation, find the appropriate university web site using an internet search engine and see if they have a home page as this may well have a list of recent publications. Researchers tend to produce more than one paper in any particular area so it's well worth while tracking down the key people in the area you are interested in and checking out their home pages, or even doing further searches based on their names.
Find a Recent Paper and Work Back
A recent paper in an area will have a reference list attached so read it. There may be many references there that you can recycle.
Find a Recent Review
In particular, review articles often reference an extensive list of the key papers in the review area over the last few years. Check out the Annual Review of Psychology in EBSCO databases.
Use all the Tools
While PsycINFO is probably the first place to start for any literature search (due to its comprehensive coverage) it's also worth using other databases such as EBSCO EJS, Ingenta, and EBSCO database as they may give you the full-text articles. Also, get used to using OPAC and check out the other resources listed below. They all offer a different mix of sources and I have found all of them useful at different times.
Use ISI Web of Science
Web of Science (WoS) has a neat search facility where you can search for all articles that have referenced a certain primary source. Very handy to see where an earlier work has been referenced later. In particular, where there is a seminal early work (e.g. Hazan and Shaver's 1987 romantic attachment paper) you can be sure that just about everyone working in the field of adult attachment, particularly the measurement of, will cite it. Access via Athens.
Resources for Searching the Literature