One of the first steps in conducting a preliminary literature review is to determine the scope and focus of your research topic. Having a clear idea of what exactly you want to research will help guide your literature search. Take some time to define your research question and any key concepts or terms involved. This will provide a framework for your literature review.
Once you have your research question and scope defined, you’ll need to search academic databases to identify relevant literature. Most university libraries provide access to databases like Academic Search Premier, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo and more. Be sure to search across multiple databases as relevant literature may be indexed in different sources. At this preliminary stage, cast a wide net and don’t limit your searches too narrowly.
When searching databases, use keywords and controlled vocabularies from your research topic and question. You may need to try different combinations of keywords to uncover all relevant results. Make note of search terms that produce useful results so you can refine your searches later. Most databases allow you to save, export or email search results to collect relevant citations.
While reviewing search results, scan titles and abstracts to evaluate if the literature is related to your research question and scope. Make note of resources that appear promising for closer examination later in your review. At this preliminary stage, aim to collect 20-30 possibly relevant sources to analyze in more depth. You can always add or remove sources as your review progresses.
In addition to database searches, conduct searches of publication repositories, major journals in your field, and reference lists from key articles. You never know where you may uncover additional useful resources. The reference sections of relevant literature provide a goldmine of other sources to consider exploring.
As you collect preliminary literature, start to organize it. Create separate electronic folders or notes for articles, books, reports and other literature. Document full citations using a consistent citation style like APA or Chicago Manual of Style. Consider using a citation management program like EndNote, Zotero or Mendeley to easily organize and access your growing literature collection.
Begin preliminary analyses of your collected literature by reviewing titles, abstracts and introductions more thoroughly. Jot down preliminary notes on the purpose, methods, findings and conclusions of each piece. This will help you get a sense of major themes, theories, debates and evidence touching on your research focus that are emerging from the literature.
Also take notes on any gaps you’re noticing, areas needing more research and any new related questions arising from your preliminary analysis. Document your reflections as you conduct your review. This preliminary analyses lays the groundwork for the next steps of critically analyzing theories, definitions, findings and approaches across your collected literature body.
At this stage, don’t get too immersed in deeply analyzing every source yet since your review is still at a preliminary level. Continue expanding your literature collection as needed and refining your organizing systems. Over time, your preliminary literature review will expand and evolve into a more comprehensive critical analysis of sources relevant to your research topic.
Be prepared to repeat the searching, collecting and analyzing steps outlined above. As you continue exploring more literature you’ll likely uncover additional search terms, new studies to include and areas necessitating adjustments to your preliminary notes. An iterative process allows your review and understanding to become increasingly sophisticated and refined over the course of several preliminary rounds of searching and analyses.
Perseverance is important when conducting a preliminary literature review, as uncovering all potentially relevant resources takes time. Stay organized with your growing literature collection and take detailed yetstill high-level preliminary notes on sources. Use this initial review to deepen yourtopic knowledge and identify specific angles for deeper exploration in the nextstage. With continued searching and analyses, a strong foundation for your full literature review will start coming together.