Free guide

Most research starts with what is called a 'literature review'. 

If you looked at the previous guide (Finding your research question) you'll know it ended with Julia describing how she starts a literature review.

Doing a literature review is a way of uncovering what we already know about a topic. Researchers need to do this for two reasons: first, a lot is already known about most topics, and we want to be sure that we are researching a novel question. Second, we want to get a balanced view of what is known, rather than jumping in and relying on the first pieces of information we find.

How do you start to find relevant material? Most researchers start by assembling a collection of key words that relate to the topic. 

How do you define those all-important key words?

Having found your keywords, the next step is to use them to start searching for evidence that will help you answer your research question

Before you start your search, it's helpful to sketch out a plan. Think about:

• where you will make your initial searches
• the key words you will use
• the time you have available for searching
• what you want to achieve in that time

You will gather a lot of information, so you should start keeping records at this stage. Knowing what you've looked for, where you looked and what you found there will help you avoid repeating something you've already done, and so you'll save time and effort.  You'll also be able to fully acknowledge the sources you have used in your research (there's more on this later). Make notes of:

• what keywords and combinations of keywords you used
• where you looked
• what documents you downloaded or read online from the search
• any notes you made about the documents

Focussing and refining the keywords you use for your search will help you be realistic and make the best possible use of the limited time you have available for the EPQ.

Even a refined search is likely to throw up lots of material from a range of sources.

Some sources are more trustworthy and credible than others. How do you decide which are credible, and therefore useful, and which aren’t?

A good literature review is more than just a list of 'she says this ... he says that'. It's an opportunity to test and show the strength of different arguments and the contribution they have made to your thinking.

The key is to critically review the material you have found.

As you go further through the research process, you will gather more and more notes, and more and more articles and resources. You don't want to lose an important resources, so it's good to start keeping control of your material right from the start.

At the end of the literature review stage, you will have a good idea of what is already known about your topic.

Now it's time to answer the question!