A free, easy-to-use Firefox extension to help you collect, manage, cite, and share your research sources. It lives right where you do your workâin the web browser itself.
Try using this worksheet to plan out your initial search strategy. The final page has search tips.
Literature Review Search Tips
Search Tips
Conduct a few different searches using your initial keywords. Start simple.
Skim the titles, abstracts and subjects of your search results. Change keywords as needed.
Keep and modify a list of keywords that are helpful in each database and those that are not.
Explore controlled vocabulary (subject terms) and search for subject terms in conjunction with keywords. Try advanced search features.
Use database search commands. Google is your friend here, EBSCOhost, Proquest, etc have help pages that explain search techniques. Some common search commands include:
AND, OR, NOT - works in all databases.
"Phrase searching” - search for words in an exact order
Truncation* - shorten a word to its root and search any ending
Wildcard ? # - replace letters with wildcards to search alternative spellings of a word. col#r = colour, color
Near & within search commands (ex. N5, W5) - search for keywords that are near or within a certain number of words apart. Example: learning N5 engag* Register for an account in databases you plan to use. Login before you search (after you login with your CapU login).
Keep track of your search history. Click on “search history” and copy and paste search strings that produced useful results into a document. Or, save your searches while logged in with your database account.
Organize your results. Use folders or try a citation manager for a more in-depth literature review.
