This document provides guidance on conducting a literature search for a dissertation. It discusses developing keywords and considering synonyms, spelling variations, and related topics. Searching multiple databases and sources is recommended. Tracking searches and citations allows moving between related research. Critical appraisal of sources distinguishes primary from secondary research and determines quality. Individual consultations are available for additional help with the literature search process.

1. Literature searching for
your dissertation –
finding the evidence
BSc Veterinary Nursing
October 2016

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What will we be doing today?
• Refresh and review literature searching
strategies;
• Spend some time carrying out your own
search;
• Search tips and citation searching
• What would YOU like to cover?

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What do you want to cover?
• Finish this sentence: “By the end of today’s session I
want to have covered/looked at/done…”
1. *
2. *
3. *
Presentation title | 3

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Doing a literature review
• Aim is to comprehensively review what is
known publically (published) on a subject –
the “evidence base”
• Starting point for further research – “sets
the scene” and/or application to practice
• Two parts: Thorough literature search
• Critical analysis of the findings

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Planning 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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What exactly are you trying to
find out? The PICO model
• Patient / population / problem
• Intervention
• Comparison
• Outcome

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Planning your search -
keywords
1. Pick out your concepts and separate them
—Cats, obesity, prevention, nurse’s role etc
2. Think of other words that are similar to
your key words but represent the same
concepts
—Feline, weight management, advice etc

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Things to consider
• Synonyms
• US /UK spellings and terminology
• Old and new terminology
• Broader and narrower topics
• Acronyms and abbreviations
• Medical and everyday terminology
• Variations of words – use truncation (e.g. Obes* will
search for obese, obesity etc)

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Feline obesity
Felines
• Cats
• Ages?
• Breeds?
Obesity
• Overweight
• Weight management
• Healthy weight
• Weight loss
• Related conditions e.g.
diabetes
Prevention
/management
etc
• Diet
• Nutrition
• Food/feeding
• Exercise
• Advice
• Attitudes (owners,
professionals)
What is the role of
the veterinary nurse
in prevention and
management of
feline obesity?

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Over to you...
• Using the worksheet
• Briefly summarise your topic in the first box
• Narrow it down to some key words
• Swap with your neighbour – add some they haven’t
thought of

12. Where to search?

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Sources to search
• Summon
• Databases
• Google Scholar
• Individual journals specific to your topic
 See the journals page on the VN library subject guide

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Thinking outside the box
• Using literature from related fields (veterinary medicine
and human nursing)
• Example – using CINAHL to find nursing literature on
infection control to draw comparisons with VN article

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• Widen your search
eg. Obesity OR overweight OR weight management
• Narrow your search
eg. Obesity AND Feline
Search tips

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• Search for phrases (“”):
eg. “feline lower urinary tract disease”
• Broaden your search (*):
eg. prevent* (finds prevent, prevents, preventing,
preventative etc)
Search tips

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Limiting your search
• Date
• Peer reviewed
• Language
• Type of journal
• Type of article / study
• Research articles, animals (depending on database)

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Keeping track of your searches

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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 - versions)
• 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
| 22
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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Distinguishing between primary and
secondary sources
• Primary sources – original research
published by the researchers in peer-
reviewed journals.
• Secondary sources – work that
summarises, critiques or reviews primary
research.

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Critical appraisal – why?
• Part of your literature review!
• As practitioners ensures that your decisions
are based on good quality research
• The more you read the easier it gets
• Saves time by being able to assess if a piece
of research is of good quality and worth
reading
• Develop the ability to make your own
judgements on whether a research conclusion
is valid

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Need further help?
• 1:1 appointments bookable via the VN guide
• email Jo Wilson j.r.wilson@mdx.ac.uk
• Ask a Librarian https://unihelp.mdx.ac.uk/askalibrarian
• Drop in to the Study Hub (1st floor), Mon-Fri 9-5