How to find information for science or health based literature reviews

Each literature review is different but a common challenge is how to manage the information you find!

The volume of information grows day by day as more information is published, uploaded into search tools like databases or made available on the internet.

You can see this effect here with a search with the keywords - honey AND wound* - run over time in the database - PubMed:

• 2nd   Jan   2020   honey AND wound* found 829 results.
• 22nd June 2020   honey AND wound* found 859 results.
• 6th    Aug  2021   honey AND wound*  found 961 results.
• 11th  July  2024   honey AND wound*  found 1,176 results.

Let's call the number of articles we find in each search we run... a results set.

A results set of 1,176 articles may be a manageable amount of information to work with but when we run searches in multiple resources... we are likely to find more and more relevant information! 

Quite quickly, we will need to make decisions on how to manage the information we find.

Being in control of the information you find will be beneficial to you.

• You will be less likely to loose information.
• You have one place to go to find the information you are planning to read or use.
• You should be able to quickly and easily find the sources you need to cite and reference.
• If you have any missing details for your references you can very quickly recheck the original source.

Below you can find examples of two ways in which you can manage information:

• Library Search and favourites.
• RefWorks.

Use the Favourites function in Library Search.

A quick way to manage the information you find is to pin the items (also known as favourites) using Library Search.

Here you can see a Simple Search in Library Search using the keywords - honey AND wound*. This is a screenshot and not a clickable image.

You can see:

• we have applied filters to the search - articles, peer reviewed journals and articles from 2000 - 2021.
• this search returns over 10,000 results.
• you can also see a sign in box under the search box with a Sign in link to follow.

If you want to use the favourite option, sign into Library Search before you begin pinning items!

If you pin items and you are not signed into Library Search and you close your browser you will lose the pinned items.  We can do nothing to help you restore these items if you were never signed in! 

You can also add labels to items, once signed into Library Search, to help keep the items organised. 

Always remember to sign out to make sure your searches remain private and your personal settings cannot be adjusted by anyone else.

 Activity 1.

• Go to Library Search.
• Run a search using keywords related to your literature review.
• Sign into Library Search. You are successfully signed in when your name appears in the top right hand side of the screen.

You add an item from your search results into your favourites by clicking on the pin in the Library Search record of the information you are interested in.

You know when you have done this successful as the pin icon spins to your favourites and the background colour of the Library Search record changes for a short time.

How do I remove an items from My Favourites in Library Search?

You can click on the pin icon a second time. Or click on the Favourites link at the top of the search results page. The Favourite link at the top of the page looks like this: 

A list of the items in your Favourites will appear. Select the pin icon next to the items you want to remove.

Use the free Document Supply Service

Use the service to request a book or journal article. You can find out more about the service using the guide below.

Use a reference management tool to help make your research life easier! 

Think of them as a digital filing cabinet that allows you to manage references from Library Search, subject databases, Google Scholar and the wider web. 

For example, you can:

• keep track of the sources you use in your research.
• create folders for a range of assignments or topics.
• use the software to create your reference list and your citations.
• you can share folders with others people you are working with.
• use multiple referencing styles.

The Library recommends and supports students using ProQuest RefWorks, however this does not mean that you cannot use other reference management software. 

Whichever option you go with, the approach needs to suit the way in which you work and prevent you from losing the information you need and having to re-run searches!

 Activity 2

• Take a look at the I want to use RefWorks guide to see if using RefWorks is something you want to use.
• If you decide you would like to use it, please book on a RefWorks online workshop or use the help guides on the I want to use RefWorks guide.

Congratulations you have completed the third step.

Time to take a break - maybe write a list of three things that you have achieved today.

• I found 10 mins in the day to read a book for fun!
• I spent time outside to connect with nature.
• I finished a task that I have been putting off.