Research a Literature Review

Where you search will depend on your topic and its parameters. However, the search options below are listed to provide the most comprehensive literature review.

• The library search box. Start your research for your literature review using the search box on the library's homepage. You will likely see a vast selection of search results as the search box searches about 85% of the library’s databases. View our About the Library Search guide for more information on what materials are generally excluded from the search.
  
  Just type in your keyword(s) into the search box. Use the Advanced Search to specify limiters like publication date, subject terms, and locations (terms that appear in specific parts of an article) to narrow your search. Check out the video Using the Library Advanced Search Tool for tips to make your research more productive. Consider the following when you use the library search box:
  
  
  • The library search box works with keywords only, so don't use sentences, as it will not pull accurate results this way.
  • Make sure the "full text" limiter is deselected. This limiter is specific to the resources in our library. An article or resource that may be critical to your research but not available in our collections might be surfaced with its abstract. You request your document through Ask Us to see if we can obtain the full text.


• Research Databases. The Research Databases icon will bring you to a wide range of academic resources, including peer-reviewed sources, which you will need to use for your research. Many of the research databases are broken out by subjects, and you will want to use the Subject dropdown menu to select those subjects that most closely cover your topic. Consider the following as you select databases to continue your research:
  
  
  • Go big. While you will want to search the specialized databases, it is worthwhile also to search the broader databases (i.e., ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and Sage Journals) and use the limiters to focus your research. The library search box covers most databases, but there are gaps. You will want to be sure your research is exhaustive and covers all the contents of these databases by searching them individually.
  • Go wide. When you use the Subjects dropdown menu to select databases, look at subjects that can overlap with your topic. For example, if your topic covers the mental health of college students, you will want to use databases in the fields of education, psychology, and healthcare.


• Dissertations. Searching published dissertations will surface variations of your topic, lead to potential gaps in the literature, and provide lists of references that may apply to your topic. The library offers access to three dedicated dissertation databases:
  
  
  • Use College of Doctoral Studies Dissertations to research unpublished doctoral dissertations completed by doctoral candidates in the university's College of Doctoral Studies.
  • Use Dissertations & Theses @ University of Phoenix to research doctoral dissertations completed by students in the university’s College of Doctoral Studies and submitted to ProQuest for publication. This database is a subset of ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.
  • Use ProQuest Dissertations & Theses to research multidisciplinary dissertations and theses worldwide. An essential resource for doctoral students, it offers full text for graduate works added since 1997 and selected full text for works written before 1997.


• Google Scholar. Google Scholar is useful for finding academic articles beyond the library’s collections. Unlike library databases, you can use natural language to search Google Scholar, which can be helpful if you are unsure of specialized terminology used within the field of your topic. Be sure to access Google Scholar through the library Research Databases list. This ensures that library articles in Google Scholar are noted. Google Scholar is also a helpful tool for citation chaining.


• Lean Library. Your research may take you outside the library and to other websites. Lean Library is a browser extension that works with the University Library to provide access to library resources while researching outside the library. Once downloaded, you'll be alerted via a pop-up message if you are looking for something that you can access through the University Library, including articles, e-books, and other subscriptions, saving you time and, in some cases, money.

• Gray literature. Your topic question may call for searching the gray literature. Gray literature is information from government agencies, academic institutions, and the for-profit sector. While not considered peer-reviewed, it may provide critical insight into your topic. You can find gray literature in the library databases by limiting your results by source (including reports, government publications, conference proceedings, and more).


• Peer-reviewed resources. Peer-reviewed sources are the most respected academic resources, but you may not want to limit yourself to these resources. While you want to check the box to limit your results to peer-reviewed sources as part of your search strategy, you may also want to deselect the box. Opening your search to all scholarly resources (not just peer-reviewed sources) will include resources like gray literature and primary sources. Additionally, publications like press releases could mention soon-to-be-released research on your topic. Your goal is to exhaust the literature, so keep this in mind when searching only for peer-reviewed articles.

Our team of research librarians is available to help you if you have a question or get stuck in your research. You can either submit your question to us through our email Ask Us service or schedule a one-on-one Teams video chat appointment with a librarian.

• The Reviewing the Literature section of the Sage Research Methods Project Planner walks you through the literature review process and answers questions about researching the literature.
• Use Ulrichsweb to identify peer-reviewed journals. Look for the referee shirt icon to indicate that the journal is peer-reviewed.
• Use the Tips for Effective Research Checklist to make sure you don't miss any steps in your research process.