Conducting a successful literature search:
A researcher’s guide to tools, terms and techniques
Finding high-quality information can be a challenge. Sometimes you needhelp, but you aren’t able to speak directly with an expert. Reference thesecards when you need quick support—think of this as a Librarian in yourback pocket!

1. Keywords, Operators & Filters
2. Search Tools
3. Types of Literature
4. Evaluate Information
5. Organize ResearchConducting a successful literature search:
A researcher’s guide to tools, terms and techniques

1. Keywords, operators and filtersBrainstorm
keywords

Expandyour keywords

Useboolean operators

Refineyour search results

These are the main ideas of yourresearch question/topic sentence.

Look at the subject headings of thematerials you find and use thoseterms as applicable.

Insert AND, OR, and NOT into yoursearch to broaden or narrow it.

Filters in the database allow you tonarrow a search by year, content type, etc.

Or look up your keywords in a
subject-specific database thesaurus
to find predefined terms (called“controlled vocabulary”).

PTSD OR Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder AND soldiers NOT Navy.

At the library: Consult a liaison librarian or subject specialist.

For example:

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Conducting a successful literature search:
A researcher’s guide to tools, terms and techniques

2. Search tools
Select the best tools:

Abstract andcitation database
Short descriptions (abstracts)of research content so you
can quickly get up to speed on
a topic and determine what
content is worth exploring more.

Full-text database
When you’re ready to dive
deeper into research, seek out
searchable, multidisciplinary
databases to access the fullbreadth and depth of researchin web/PDF formats.

Search box onlibrary homepage
Discover your library’s fullcatalog to view a wide array ofavailable research. *Note: Not
all databases may be included,
so remember to check otherdatabases, as well.

Library catalog

Web search engine

When looking for items housed
physically in the library (as well
as some electronic items).

When looking for popular andwidely-available content, web
searches can return a full rangeof sources. *Note: Not all results
will pass research-level scrutiny.

Institutional Repository (IR)What other research is available
to you? Check your library or
website to discover the latest
research produced at yourinstitution. *Note: Format mayvary from final publication output.

At the library: Find research/subject guides online.

2Conducting a successful literature search:
A researcher’s guide to tools, terms and techniques

3. Types of literature
You should find:A name for other research material such as:

Articles

Books

Data

Grey Literature

JournalMonograph

Types of available data:

Conference proceeding

PatentWritten by a researcher orscholar for a specific field,
reviewed by peer scholarsbefore publication

A book on a specialized topic• Equations• Charts and Graphs

Panels, presentations andposter sessions at a conference

Any book accessible infull text online• Chemical Reactions

White paper

Rights to an invention grantedby an official government
agency• Data Sets

Other publication

Reference work

• Maps /geographic data

Document that often contains
legislation, outlines future
trends, or is a call foraction
on a topic
Dissertation or thesis

Published report or dataset

Magazine

Written by a journalist for a
mass-market audience
NewspaperEbook

A collection of research,e.g., encyclopedia

Written by a journalist toinform the public about
happenings in the world

At the library: Get help via email and online chat.

Document not published inscholarly channels, such as agovernment document

Student research papers often
culminating in a master’s
degree or PhD

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Conducting a successful literature search:
A researcher’s guide to tools, terms and techniques

4. Evaluate information
To determine trustworthiness of the material, try the CRAAP testdeveloped by the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico1
Currency

Accuracy• When was the information published• How reliable is the information?

and is that important to know?

Relevance• How important is the information

to your needs?

Authority• Who is the author and what are

their credentials?

• Do they work for a reputableinstitution?

• Does it lack citations?
• Are there spelling errors?

Purpose• Is it a well-balanced independentpiece of research, or intended to sella product or idea?

http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/
eval_websites.pdf• Was the information publishedin a peer-reviewed journal?

At the library: Sign up for a one-to-one research consultation.

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Conducting a successful literature search:
A researcher’s guide to tools, terms and techniques

5. Organize research
Save materials such as article PDFs into a document
library and/or download the citation information
Citation Manager / ReferenceManager / Document Library
An online tool or desktop software used to organize andstore citations and full-text articles or other documents,
create bibliographies, insert in-text citations into a paper,and share references with research partners.

Citation
The act of explaining the source of the information
found during the course of your research. Citation isa mandatory scholarly practice that gives credit andhelps prevent plagiarism Citations may be used in
bibliographies, footnotes and within the body of yourtext. Common citation formats are APA, MLA andChicago style.
Example:Crystal Renfro, The Use of Visual Tools in the Academic
Research Process: A Literature Review, The Journal ofAcademic Librarianship, Volume 43, Issue 2, March 2017,Pages 95-99, ISSN 0099-1333,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2017.02.004

At the library: Take an information skills workshop.

5Elsevier
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Visit us at: https://www.elsevier.com for more information.
Brought to you by Katy Kavanagh Webb, Research and Instructional Services
Librarian kavanaghk@ecu.edu and Elsevier’s Library Connect.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V.
April 2018