Ways to find the right papers for literature review

Starting your literature review could seem overwhelming due to the thought of going through huge amounts of literary work. But this is no big deal, all you need to know is where to start in the first place.

Today, we are going to discuss about the places where you can find references on the topic of your interest. But the importance of different papers will vary depending upon the topic of your requirement. The probability of you finding the right reference is as much as not finding it, which means that there is a probability that you can find the right reference in less than an hour and also one where it can take a weak for you to find it.

Nine places from where you can start your search for your desired references for your literature review are as follows:

1. Your supervisor’s Work

If you are hired and working as a part of a funded project, even if not, then there is a high chance that your supervisor would be consisting of a folder with your topic’s information. This is because he/she has to do some preliminary work to write the final presentation proposal and that should be the first place for you to look for references.

2. A textbook always helps

Textbooks are the basis of all the knowledge that we’ve got from our childhood. It may not consist of detailed knowledge as compared to a journal article, but it does consist of basics. Basics can not help in understanding a topic better, if you are new to a topic, but also provide a new perspective. Along with this, let’s not forget that textbooks contain loads of references.

3. take a look at the reference proposal

Being a part of a funded project demands you and your team to work on a research proposal. This proposal consists of some references, which support the subject of the proposal. These cited references can be downloaded for getting a better view of their required background.

4. keep an eye on other review papers

Reviewing papers that are based on the same topic as yours can be a good place to know more about the topic as well as get more reference links. These cited references can enhance your view on the topic also.

5. Look out for other technical Reports and Theses

Research papers on the topic as same as yours can be quite helpful but limiting yourself just to them is not enough. Technical reports are another source of references as well as a great source for practical knowledge on a topic. Theses are another great source of analytical and in-depth knowledge as well as references, compiled by Ph.D. holders and aspirants.

6. Google Scholar

One of the best sources for finding relevant articles on any of your desired topics is Google Scholar. It consists of articles on nearly every topic on this planet. These articles are written by professionals and students who are pursuing higher education. Its articles are a great source of references.

7. Scopus

Scopus is another one of the platforms that contain articles on a huge variety of topics. Its publishing metrics are quite high, which makes it a great source of authentic and original articles. Its articles can be good references themselves and consist of other references in them too.

8. Research Gate

If you want an online platform that lets you contact the publisher of an article directly, then ResearchGate is for you. Research gate lets you search for other articles, follow others from your field, and directly contact an article’s publisher through messages.

9. References inside references

The best way to make your article, thesis, paper stand out is by making it unique. This can be done by referring to unique references in it. These references can be found when you keep digging the references inside a referenced article until you find the right reference for your article.