What is the best way to select sources for a literature review?

1 Define your scope and criteria

Before you start searching for sources, you need to define the scope and criteria of your literature review. What is the main research question or problem you are addressing? What are the key concepts, theories, and methods related to your topic? What are the inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting sources? For example, you may want to limit your sources by date, language, type, or discipline. You may also want to exclude sources that are not peer-reviewed, not relevant, or not reliable. Having a clear scope and criteria will help you narrow down your search and avoid being overwhelmed by irrelevant or outdated information.

2 Use multiple and specific keywords

Once you have defined your scope and criteria, you need to use multiple and specific keywords to search for sources. Keywords are the words or phrases that describe your topic and help you find relevant sources in databases, catalogs, or search engines. You can use synonyms, antonyms, or related terms to expand your search and increase your chances of finding more sources. You can also use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to combine or exclude keywords and refine your search. For example, if you are doing a literature review on the impact of social media on mental health, you can use keywords such as social media, mental health, effects, impacts, influences, outcomes, well-being, depression, anxiety, etc.

4 Organize and synthesize your sources

Once you have selected the best sources for your literature review, you need to organize and synthesize them. Organizing your sources means arranging them in a logical and coherent way, according to themes, categories, or subtopics. You can use a table, a matrix, or a mind map to help you organize your sources and identify the main points, similarities, and differences among them. Synthesizing your sources means integrating and summarizing them in your own words, while highlighting their connections, contradictions, and implications. You can use paraphrasing, quoting, or referencing techniques to synthesize your sources and avoid plagiarism.

5 Update and revise your sources

Finally, you need to update and revise your sources as you write your literature review. Updating your sources means checking for new or updated information that may affect your literature review, such as new publications, findings, or developments. You can use alerts, feeds, or newsletters to keep track of the latest research on your topic and incorporate it into your literature review if relevant. Revising your sources means reviewing and editing your literature review to ensure that your sources are properly cited, analyzed, and synthesized. You can use feedback, peer review, or proofreading tools to help you revise your literature review and improve its quality and clarity.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?