How to Do a Literature Search for an Essay or Dissertation

Choosing the Right Databases

Different academic subjects have specialist databases that index the most relevant peer-reviewed literature. Using the right database dramatically improves the relevance of your search results. Key databases by subject: nursing and allied health CINAHL, PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library; medicine PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane; psychology PsycINFO, PubMed; social work and social sciences Social Work Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, ASSIA; law  Westlaw, LexisNexis, BAILII (free); education ERIC, BEI; business and management — Business Source Complete, EconLit; environmental science Web of Science, Scopus, Environment Complete; general academic Google Scholar (for breadth), JSTOR (for humanities), Web of Science and Scopus (for all sciences).

Access these databases through your university library portal, not directly through internet search. Most require institutional login credentials. Google Scholar is freely accessible but includes grey literature and non-peer-reviewed sources alongside peer-reviewed articles always check the full text to verify peer-review status before citing.

Developing Search Terms

Before searching, develop a structured list of search terms from your research question or essay topic. For each key concept, identify: the preferred term (the term most commonly used in the academic literature on this topic), synonyms (alternative terms used for the same concept), and broader/narrower terms (for when your initial search retrieves too few or too many results). For a dissertation on nursing interventions for pressure ulcer prevention, your term list might include: pressure ulcer / pressure injury / decubitus ulcer / bedsore (synonyms for the condition); repositioning / turning / position changes / pressure relief (synonyms for the intervention); prevention / prophylaxis / risk reduction (synonyms for the outcome focus).

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators allow you to combine search terms to expand or narrow your search. OR broadens the search by retrieving records containing any of the combined terms use it to capture synonyms: “pressure ulcer” OR “pressure injury” OR “decubitus ulcer”. AND narrows the search by retrieving only records containing both terms use it to combine concepts: (“pressure ulcer” OR “pressure injury”) AND (repositioning OR “turning schedules”). NOT excludes records containing a specific term use it carefully as it can exclude relevant results: AND NOT “paediatric” if you are researching adult populations only.

Use parentheses to group synonymous terms with OR before combining concept groups with AND: (Term1a OR Term1b OR Term1c) AND (Term2a OR Term2b) AND (Term3a OR Term3b). This search structure ensures that at least one term from each concept group appears in every retrieved record. This is the foundational architecture of a systematic literature search strategy.

Applying Filters

After running your initial search, use database filters to refine results. Common filters: publication date (typically the last five to seven years for most topics; up to ten years for slower-moving fields; no date restriction for foundational or historical questions); study type (systematic reviews, RCTs, qualitative studies select based on your research question and the evidence hierarchy); language (English unless you read clinical literature in other languages); population (adults, children, specific clinical populations depending on your focus); and peer review status (most databases allow you to filter to peer-reviewed articles only). Record your filter choices as part of your search strategy documentation.

Evaluating Sources

Once you have retrieved your results, evaluate each source before including it in your review. Use the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) appraisal tools for different study types the CASP RCT checklist, CASP Systematic Review checklist, CASP Qualitative checklist, etc. For non-clinical literature, evaluate using CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose): Is the source recent enough? Is it relevant to your specific question? Is the author/organisation credible? Are claims supported by evidence? What is the publication’s purpose and potential bias?

Systematic Search for Dissertations

Dissertation literature reviews require a documented, reproducible systematic search. Record: every database searched; the exact search terms and strategy used in each database; the date the search was conducted; all filters applied; and the number of records retrieved at each stage. Document your inclusion and exclusion criteria the specific criteria that determined whether a retrieved article was included in or excluded from your review. Create a PRISMA flow diagram showing: records identified → records after duplicate removal → records screened → records excluded with reasons → full-text articles assessed → articles included in the review. This documentation is assessed as part of your dissertation methodology chapter.

Managing Your References

Use reference management software from the beginning of your literature search not after. Zotero (free), Mendeley (free), and RefWorks (institutional subscription) allow you to save references directly from databases, organise them by project or theme, annotate them with notes, and automatically generate correctly formatted reference lists in Harvard, APA, MLA, Vancouver, and dozens of other formats. The time investment in setting up reference management at the start pays enormous dividends at the writing and submission stage.

For dissertations, create folders in your reference manager for included and excluded studies, and use the notes field to record your appraisal notes for each source. This creates an auditable record of your literature review process and makes the writing of your literature review chapter significantly more efficient.

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