With these little Tricks and Tips for literature search, you relieve you with this process.
Tip 1: Topic?
The first from tips for literature search is the question of the topic, you should ask you directly at the beginning of your work. A thematic framework is particularly important for starting. A clarification at this time is neither sensible nor possible. You should be clear, however, whether you witness yourself with battery-powered tools, or the prose of the funds to deal age.
Tip 2: differentiate the literary types
It’s not THE book or THE article. It is important to know what forms and options.
The main types are:
- Monographs
- Collective works
- Magazines
- Encyclopedia
- the Internet
Various search options can help you: there are many online databases, the OPAC of your Uni, and the direct path to the library is useful.
Tip 3: get an Overview
In order to obtain a first Overview and further literature, is first of all a look in encyclopedias or Wikipedia sense. You get so superior to the first information, and you can, in the direction of your topic to develop. Usually, further reading is indicated.
- But be careful: as the sole document neither Wikipedia nor an ENCYCLOPAEDIA, is sufficient.
Tip 4: write it All down
It is important to know and do, from the beginning, everything is exactly to write down and document. Nothing is worse to think of than after weeks of the literature search, what you’ve found everything. So the question is “Where’s the essay?” or statements like “Because was is because but can be avoided what” easily.
Tip 5: save time
Often you have for your scientific work, only a limited amount of time. Just in the initial stage of the search process, it is helpful to browse the table of contents of a book for relevant chapters or articles. In addition, there is often at the end of a Chapter with a summary. You will recognize quickly whether or not this literature is useful or not, and you’re not wasting unnecessary time.
Tips for Literature Search – #6: Unnecessary Literature
Books or texts that do not bring you further, you should not hire or directly back to the library. It can be very demotivating to see the stack of books in front of him. Effectively, only a third, however, is perhaps useful. Do yourself a Favor and keep only the literature that you really need.
Tips for Literature Search – #7: Differentiate
After a first Overview of your topic, the time has now come to consider in what direction you develop your work. A clear theme is the A and O. it is Only when this is found, you can start with the goal of accurate search.
Tips for Literature Search – #8: in The mix
Books also apply in today’s time as the most important literary document. You describe an issue is usually very accurate. The disadvantage is that books can often be out of date. Essays, however, are very precise, but light is often only one direction. A good mix of articles, websites and books, therefore, is important.
Frequently asked questions about literature search
What is a literature search?
How to do a literature search?
