This document provides guidance on conducting literature searches for research projects and literature reviews. It discusses developing keywords, searching different databases, using citation searching to find related articles, and tips for obtaining full-text journal articles. Students are encouraged to brainstorm keywords, consider AND/OR operators, search databases through the university library systems, and use citation indexes to find other relevant sources. Troubleshooting options are provided if full-text versions are not directly available.

1. Literature searching for
Research Projects /
Literature Reviews
BSc Sport & Exercise Rehabilitation
October 2016

2. © Middlesex University
Today
• Refresh and review literature searching strategies and
sources
• Full text and citation searching
• What would you like to cover?
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Starting your search
Think about:
• Areas of interest
• Keywords
• Scope of subject

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Keywords
• Brainstorm – it will save
you time later!
• Searching only one word
for your concept will not
necessarily bring you all
the results. And sometimes
none.
Not everyone uses the same
terminology for the same idea.
• Use the worksheet if you
like (it also helps you
organise how to combine
the terms with ‘AND’ or
‘OR’)

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stretching
• Stretch*
• Flexibility / flexible
• Pliability
• “Range of motion”
• Warm up / cool down
etc
muscle
soreness
• Sore*
• Muscle pain / cramps /
contraction
• Delayed onset muscle
soreness (DOMS)
after
exercise
• Post-exercise
• Physical activity
• Specific?
Is stretching
effective in
preventing or
reducing muscle
soreness after
exercise?
Specific
types
• Specific groups of
athletes
•Age?
•Gender?
•Level – elite etc?

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Back to your topic
• Narrow it down to some key words
• Alternatives?
• Swap with your neighbour – add some they haven’t
thought of

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AND / OR.....WHY?

8. Where to search?

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• Widen your search
eg. Strapping OR taping OR bracing
• Narrow your search
eg. Rehabilitation AND Ankle
Search tips

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• Search for phrases (“”):
eg. “anterior cruciate ligament”
• Broaden your search (*):
eg. swim* (finds swim, swimmer, swimmers,
swimming etc)
Search tips

11. © Middlesex University
Getting full text of journal articles
• Regardless of where you’re searching…be logged into
myUniHub and click on a My Library/My Study link first
• If you’re not lucky… REMEMBER – it won’t always be
directly available to you – especially for dissertations
• Double-check (Summon/Google Scholar)
• Google it!
— Researcher networks (e.g. ResearchGate, Academia.edu), contacting
authors
— Authors’ & institutions’ websites
• Inter-Library Loans

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Citation searching
• Which articles have cited an earlier article
• Find articles on similar/related subject
• How many times an article has been cited
• Best journals in your field

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Citation searching
• Allows you to move forwards and backwards in the
literature
• Use Google Scholar, Summon or Science Citation Index

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Citation searching - Summon
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See articles
which cite this
one in Web of
Science / Science
Citation Index
Citing
articles in
Scopus
Mentions on
social
media,
blogs, news
sources etc

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Science Citation Index

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How much attention did it get?
Presentation title | 16

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SPSS
• Available to download from MyUniHub – PC and Mac
versions
o My Study page > Software box ‘Download software for my PC or Mac’
• SPSS Statistics Essential Training tutorial from
Lynda.com
o Make sure you’ve logged into MyUniHub first
o sign up for a Middlesex account here first:
http://ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/login?url=http://iplogin.lynda.com
o Then access the tutorial at
http://www.lynda.com/allcourses?category=spss_1009
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Need help?
• Librarians in the Study Hub (1st floor of Sheppard
Library) 9-5 Mon-Fri
• Ask a Librarian
https://unihelp.mdx.ac.uk/askalibrarian
• SES Library Subject Guide – Jo’s contact details
and presentations/helpsheets
http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/sport

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Getting Full text of journal articles
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• Troubleshooting guide can be found here
— http://libguides.mdx.ac.uk/accessingelectronicresources
• If you’re not lucky… REMEMBER – it won’t always be directly available
to you – especially for the dissertation
— Double check the library catalogue by copying journal name into the
‘journal search’. If we have it there’ll be a record and a link with the
dates we have access to.
— Go to Google Scholar and look for PDF signs
— Search for Author’s website/institution’s repository, often they have
uploaded a pre-publication version
— ResearchGate, Academia.edu…
— Emailing authors
— Order a copy via the inter-library loan service (you’ll be emailed with a
link to a PDF) (£3.00 added to your library account)
http://unihub.mdx.ac.uk/study/library/resources/ill/index.aspx