Narrow Your Topic
Before you begin searching for literature, determine keywords that define your topic.
Use the Right Databases
Broad databases like Web of Science (WOS) can help you find a lot of the research out there, but always use a subject-specific database as well to catch any literature WOS might have missed.
Research is a Process
Once you start reading the literature, you might find references for more materials related to your project, or find the need to search again. Research is an iterative process, you will find yourself starting over at times. Remember to give yourself the time you need to conduct a comprehensive search.
Citation Managers help you organize the research you find. Two popular, free managers are
Zotero and
Mendeley. You can create folders, share your citations, and even upload the articles themselves to your citation managers.
