Research Scholar Program
As part of the Research Scholar Program you'll need to create a good quality literature search. This will form the basis for your subsequent research proposal and literature review.
This guide highlights resources that will assist in these areas, arranged in these sections:
Creating a Literature Search Strategy
Crafting a good search strategy is the key to preparing a literature review that is well informed.
Deakin University Library’s Systematic Search for Health guide steps you through the process in these stages:
- Planning your search
- Choose your databases
- Running your search
- Documenting your search
- Screening your search results
These stand-alone documents will also be useful for creating a search strategy:
- Full list of search tipsAll the common search operators/syntax that databases use, and how they work.
- Search operators for health databasesThis document details how to customise your search for each database ensuring you use the correct search operators.
- Example searchThis document provides an example search method including a line by line example of a MEDLINE and an EMBASE search
- Literature review mapAn example table of how to record your final search when you run it through each of your selected databases.
The PRESS 2015 Guidelines Evidence-Based Checklist provides guidance for checking elements of a search strategy. The checklist is most useful once the search strategy is nearing completion.
- PRESS Checklist 2015 (CADTH)This is a checklist to help you proof read your own search and check for ways to improve and refine your search. (reproduced with permission)
Managing Literature Search Results
Making use of reference management software in your literature review process will keep you organised and make citations easier, saving you time. This software allows you to collect citation details, organise them into groups and insert them into a Word document in the appropriate referencing style.
Deakin University has paid for a licence that allows staff and students to use the full version of EndNote.
Visit the Software Library to download the full version of EndNote.
Have a look at the Library guide to EndNote for step-by-step advice on using EndNote from beginner to advanced levels.
We also have advice on exporting large numbers of search results to EndNote (PDF), which may be required in a literature review.
Other sources of help for EndNote include:
Note that unless otherwise advised, referencing in assessments should comply with the appropriate Deakin referencing style.
Other options for reference management software include:
Support for these products can be found at the following:
Appraising Individual Papers
Papers selected for possible inclusion in a literature review not only need to be considered for relevance to the research question but also need to be assessed for reliability. This is the process of critical appraisal.
The Library’s Brief Guide to Critical Appraisal contains more details on the process of critical appraisal.
Critical appraisal tools exist to help with this process. These can be in the form of checklists for indicators of a study's quality, or as a collection of questions designed to prompt examination of the paper.
There are several sources of critical appraisal tools, including:
- CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme)
- JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute)
- CEBM (Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine)
- SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network)
- BMJ Best Practice
Research Data Management
Research projects generate data. This is defined as:
“… information that has been collected, observed, generated or created to validate original research findings" (University of Leeds)
Why plan to manage research data?
- It improves version and quality control
- It saves time accessing data
- It makes it easier to share and preserve
- It reduces the chance of loss or corruption of data
- It may be a funding or privacy requirement
Go to Deakin’s Manage Data site for more tips and tools for preparing a data management plan.
Writing a Research Proposal
Writing a research proposal is an important part of the research process. The following resources aim to assist in this crucial planning stage.
Sage Research Methods is an excellent source of practical information for planning and conducting research projects. While the size of the database is significant, the following sections are of particular help for the creation of a research proposal:
- Project Planner (online tool)
- How do I write a research proposal? (video interview with PDF transcript)
There are also many eBooks in Sage Research Methods, with the following being relevant to the creation of a research proposal:
Developing Research Proposals by Publication Date: 2012Developing Research Proposals will help readers to understand the context within which their proposal will be read, what the reviewers are looking for and will be influenced by, while also supporting the development of relevant skills through advice and practical activities.
The Essential Guide to Postgraduate Study by Publication Date: 2005This book provides: advice on constructing effective research proposals, with examples of successful submissions; help with developing an academic writing style and advice on how to get published. While each consecutive chapter develops and builds upon its predecessor, the book has been designed to be easy to 'dip into' to help resolve a problem or examine an issue of relevance to a particular stage of the process.
Getting Started on Research by Publication Date: 2010Getting Started in Research is for people in the earlier stages of development as a researcher. In contrast to the many books available on techniques of data collection and analysis, this volume deals with the many other practical considerations around actually doing research - such as good ways to frame research questions, how to plan your research projects effectively and how to undertake the various necessary tasks.
Outside of Sage Research Methods, other sources include:
- Preparing a research proposal (tips for Deakin postgraduate students)
Designing and Managing Your Research Project by Publication Date: 2010Designing and Managing Your Research Project provides information about the key areas needed for a successful project. It includes software skills, developing research objectives, writing proposals, literature reviews, getting ethics approval, seeking funding, managing a project, communicating research findings, and writing reports.
STEM Student Research Handbook by Publication Date: 2011Early chapters help students design and implement, later chapters help correctly interpret their data, and the last chapters enable students to effectively communicate their results by writing and documenting a STEM research paper.
Writing a Literature Review
As part of a research project an effective literature review not only demonstrates an understanding of the context in which the research sits but also informs the researcher’s approach to their own research.
Sage Research Methods is again a good source of information for writing a literature review:
- The Project Planner tool includes a section on Reviewing the Literature
- Am I the only one struggling to write a literature review? is an informative video about the rationale behind a literature review and the steps to writing one.
- Getting started on research (eBook) and The essential guide to postgraduate study (eBook) also have sections on literature reviews.
The Literature Review: a step-by-step guide for students by Publication Date: 2008The Literature Review is a concise step-by-step guide to conducting a literature search and writing up the literature review chapter in Masters dissertations and in Ph.D. and professional doctorate theses.
Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care by Publication Date: 2014This popular book demystifies literature reviewing and answers the questions students have about how to tackle the process.
Deakin’s Academic Skills guides may assist with writing the review. Guides include writing in academic style and English language development. Students can also contact Study Support for personal assistance.
This guide has been intended to feature resources that will be useful for the assessment tasks in the Research Scholar Program.
Content on this guide was compiled by the Medical Librarian. For questions or feedback please contact libhealth@deakin.edu.au.