How to do a literature search
What is a literature search?
A literature search involves using a range of resources to find books, journals, databases and web sites that are concerned with the subject you are researching, in order to produce a list of references for you to consult. This search may require you to find material held in other libraries.
Always keep a list of all the references you find as you go along and then list them at the end of your piece of work in the bibliography.
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Where do I start?
Start by defining your topic precisely. This might involve using dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauri to find related terms and phrases to describe the exact subject you have been given. Use our quick reference sections in the Libraries to look up general background information and find the keywords you will use later on.
Now start by looking at the books that we hold here at the University, by searching on the library catalogue. A basic keyword search is a good starting point. Once you have identified some items of use, you can click on each title, then the Shelfmark link, to find related works which are shelved near to the items you have identified.
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How do I search through all the journals?
Searching through printed journals, looking at Contents Lists, is a daunting task. A better way to search the journal literature is to find a specialist database that covers your subject area. You can then carry out a keyword search using the search terms you defined earlier.
Kingston University subscribes to a wide range of databases which are listed on our website in subject groupings http://www.kingston.ac.uk/library/eresources/general/eresubject.htm and alphabetically http://www.kingston.ac.uk/library/eresources/general/eresalpha.htm
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Could I go straight to the internet?
The popular general search engines on the web (eg. Google, Alta Vista, Yahoo) are useful as a starting point, but to avoid retrieving inappropriate information it is important to remember the following:
There is no guarantee of the origin of the web sites listed by search engines. Web pages may be created by individuals (sometimes with limited knowledge of the subject) or by multi-national organisations, so always check the source of the web page you are accessing.
The author of a web page may have a particular bias.
Consider whether the author is an authority on their subject and whether they can be considered sufficiently expert in their field to be cited in your assignment.
Check when the page was created or last updated. Nobody weeds the Internet for out of date or inaccurate material.
[back to top]
Are there any short-cuts on the Internet?
You can use a "Subject Gateway" which is a collection of Internet resources arranged by subject. Most gateways include a keyword search option and the majority of resources listed will have been evaluated by experts. Use academic gateways such as:
Resource Discovery Network http://www.rdn.ac.uk
Pinakes http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html
BUBL http://www.bubl.ac.uk/
to ensure your research includes material of appropriate academic quality.
[back to top]
I've got my list of references, what do I do next?
Check the library catalogue to see whether we hold them here at Kingston. Remember you can only search the library catalogue for journal titles not individual articles.
Alternatively, for a comprehensive list of all the electronic journals that you can access go to:
http://fq4dk7fa6s.search.serialssolutions.com/ This provides an A-Z listing of journals which may be searched by journal title or browsed by subject.
[back to top]
What if the references I find aren't held at the university?
You may be able to find them in another university library. Use different catalogues to help your search:
Other Library Catalogues gives access to other university and public library catalogues, including the cross-searchable catalogues of the M25 Consortium of libraries.
You may be able to visit relevant libraries if they are part of one of the co-operative schemes which allow access for students from other institutions (e.g. UK Libraries Plus). If you are a final year or postgraduate student then you can also use our interlibrary loans service to obtain photocopies of articles held at other libraries or to borrow books held elsewhere. Interlibrary loan forms are available from the Enquiry desks at each site.
Remember that the range of material that you need to locate will depend on the depth of research required for each piece of coursework. Information for the majority of your assignments should be available in Kingston University library. However, for your final year project or dissertation you will almost certainly need to use other libraries which specialise in your area of research.
[back to top]
Where can I go if I get stuck?
Library staff at the Enquiry desks in the LRCs will always be able advise you on the appropriate database to search or whether there are any specialist collections you should look at. They also hold factsheets listing sources of information on specific subject areas. Library staff are always prepared to help but remember they can't actually do the searching for you.
[back to top]
I've found too much material, how can I cut it down?
It is very easy to succumb to information overload. Think about your assignment and the ways in which you can make your search for information more precise.
Do you require only recent information? In which case, limit your searches by date of publication.
Are you only interested in one particular location? Try limiting your search by geographical area.
Search only for material published in languages you can read.
Do you require a certain type of information eg. government publications, or maybe only images or film. There are specific databases to handle these types of search.
[back to top]
How do I present my results?
At the end of your piece of work you need to attach a bibliography, listing all the sources you consulted for your research. So make sure you have kept a list of all the sources you have used, this includes web pages, videos, journals etc. Your tutor will tell you how to cite ie. list the references. There are several established ways of doing this. The most commonly used are:
A literature search involves using a range of resources to find books, journals, databases and web sites that are concerned with the subject you are researching, in order to produce a list of references for you to consult. This search may require you to find material held in other libraries.
Always keep a list of all the references you find as you go along and then list them at the end of your piece of work in the bibliography.
[back to top]
Where do I start?
Start by defining your topic precisely. This might involve using dictionaries, encyclopedias and thesauri to find related terms and phrases to describe the exact subject you have been given. Use our quick reference sections in the Libraries to look up general background information and find the keywords you will use later on.
Now start by looking at the books that we hold here at the University, by searching on the library catalogue. A basic keyword search is a good starting point. Once you have identified some items of use, you can click on each title, then the Shelfmark link, to find related works which are shelved near to the items you have identified.
[back to top]
How do I search through all the journals?
Searching through printed journals, looking at Contents Lists, is a daunting task. A better way to search the journal literature is to find a specialist database that covers your subject area. You can then carry out a keyword search using the search terms you defined earlier.
Kingston University subscribes to a wide range of databases which are listed on our website in subject groupings http://www.kingston.ac.uk/library/eresources/general/eresubject.htm and alphabetically http://www.kingston.ac.uk/library/eresources/general/eresalpha.htm
[back to top]
Could I go straight to the internet?
The popular general search engines on the web (eg. Google, Alta Vista, Yahoo) are useful as a starting point, but to avoid retrieving inappropriate information it is important to remember the following:
There is no guarantee of the origin of the web sites listed by search engines. Web pages may be created by individuals (sometimes with limited knowledge of the subject) or by multi-national organisations, so always check the source of the web page you are accessing.
The author of a web page may have a particular bias.
Consider whether the author is an authority on their subject and whether they can be considered sufficiently expert in their field to be cited in your assignment.
Check when the page was created or last updated. Nobody weeds the Internet for out of date or inaccurate material.
[back to top]
Are there any short-cuts on the Internet?
You can use a "Subject Gateway" which is a collection of Internet resources arranged by subject. Most gateways include a keyword search option and the majority of resources listed will have been evaluated by experts. Use academic gateways such as:
Resource Discovery Network http://www.rdn.ac.uk
Pinakes http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html
BUBL http://www.bubl.ac.uk/
to ensure your research includes material of appropriate academic quality.
[back to top]
I've got my list of references, what do I do next?
Check the library catalogue to see whether we hold them here at Kingston. Remember you can only search the library catalogue for journal titles not individual articles.
Alternatively, for a comprehensive list of all the electronic journals that you can access go to:
http://fq4dk7fa6s.search.serialssolutions.com/ This provides an A-Z listing of journals which may be searched by journal title or browsed by subject.
[back to top]
What if the references I find aren't held at the university?
You may be able to find them in another university library. Use different catalogues to help your search:
Other Library Catalogues gives access to other university and public library catalogues, including the cross-searchable catalogues of the M25 Consortium of libraries.
You may be able to visit relevant libraries if they are part of one of the co-operative schemes which allow access for students from other institutions (e.g. UK Libraries Plus). If you are a final year or postgraduate student then you can also use our interlibrary loans service to obtain photocopies of articles held at other libraries or to borrow books held elsewhere. Interlibrary loan forms are available from the Enquiry desks at each site.
Remember that the range of material that you need to locate will depend on the depth of research required for each piece of coursework. Information for the majority of your assignments should be available in Kingston University library. However, for your final year project or dissertation you will almost certainly need to use other libraries which specialise in your area of research.
[back to top]
Where can I go if I get stuck?
Library staff at the Enquiry desks in the LRCs will always be able advise you on the appropriate database to search or whether there are any specialist collections you should look at. They also hold factsheets listing sources of information on specific subject areas. Library staff are always prepared to help but remember they can't actually do the searching for you.
[back to top]
I've found too much material, how can I cut it down?
It is very easy to succumb to information overload. Think about your assignment and the ways in which you can make your search for information more precise.
Do you require only recent information? In which case, limit your searches by date of publication.
Are you only interested in one particular location? Try limiting your search by geographical area.
Search only for material published in languages you can read.
Do you require a certain type of information eg. government publications, or maybe only images or film. There are specific databases to handle these types of search.
[back to top]
How do I present my results?
At the end of your piece of work you need to attach a bibliography, listing all the sources you consulted for your research. So make sure you have kept a list of all the sources you have used, this includes web pages, videos, journals etc. Your tutor will tell you how to cite ie. list the references. There are several established ways of doing this. The most commonly used are:
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