1. Reflection on or defining the research question: The first step involves clearly defining what you are searching for. This may involve formulating a research question using frameworks like PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) to guide the search strategy.
2. Deciding Where to Search: Identifying the appropriate databases and sources to search is crucial. The choice of databases can significantly affect the search results. Researchers should consider which databases are most relevant to their topic and why, and whether any databases should be excluded from their search. Your Subject Guide gives you access to all crucial databases and the library catalogue.
3. Developing a Search Strategy: This involves selecting key search terms, synonyms, and using Boolean operators to combine search terms effectively. The strategy may also include setting limits, such as language or date restrictions, to refine the search.
4. Conducting the Search: After developing a strategy, the next step is to conduct the search across chosen databases. This step may involve iterative refinement of the search terms and strategy based on the results obtained.
5. Organizing and Evaluating Results: Once relevant literature is identified, it should be organized and evaluated for quality and relevance to the research question. This may involve using reference management software and critically appraising the literature.
6. Documentation: Keeping a detailed record of the search process, including databases searched, search terms used, and the rationale for inclusion or exclusion of specific sources, is important for transparency and reproducibility, i.e. the ability to obtain consistent results in replicated scientific studies.
