Tips and Tricks for Literature Searches

Tips and Tricks for Literature Searches
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Tips and Tricks for Literature Searches
Literature search can prove to be a daunting job if an individual lacks the relevant tips and tricks of navigating tactfully through electronic databases to find topics related to a given field. It can also be time consuming when one encounters topic that have minimal relevance to his or her topic. Before starting any literature search, it is always advisable that one takes time to broadly examine the context of a given topic. Some preliminary exploration of the topic through discussions and literature with tutors, peers, and other advisors is very helpful to ensure proper guidelines are acquired regarding the topic. The identification of a researchable topic is very important and making it narrow or wider might be possible options in order to make it easy to find related literature (Hirschman, 2010).
Every literature effective literature search undertaking does not consume a lot of time and still provides the depth and accuracy desired on a given topic. Some useful tips may include the use of synonyms in searching literature related to a given topic. Instead of searching some keywords that may end up producing little or irrelevant literature, the use of other words to describe what one wants can demonstrate success in literature search. Truncating is also a useful tip in as a strategy for literature search whereby a particular word gives leads and allows one to choose from numerous words starting with the initial letters starting a search especially in Ovid. Spelling is another tip that can contribute to the success...