Doing a Literature Review

Are you a bachelor’s or master’s student preparing to write a literature review? This resource page gathers useful tips and tools for those starting a literature review.

There are many different ways to write a literature review. What all these various approaches have in common is that you base your work on other researchers' findings and publications.

This resource page is structured according to the steps one goes through when writing a literature review. There are tips for literature and digital resources under each step.

Preliminary Search/Exploration of the Topic

To do a literature review, there must be prior research on the topic you want to write about. It is also important to investigate whether literature reviews on your topic have already been written. Therefore, it is necessary for you to explore this during a preliminary phase. Searching in Google Scholar, ORIA, basic searches in subject databases, Keenious, or academic reference works can quickly provide an overview of what is available.

Research Question

Once you have formulated a research question, it can be helpful to place the key terms into a PICO/PICo framework or other search frameworks. This framework can provide structure and help clarify the research question so that you include the important elements in your literature search. As you find search terms, write them down under the appropriate elements in the framework. In this way, the PICO/PICo framework can help you keep track of your search terms.

Learn more about the PICO/PICo Framework (Available in Norwegian only)
Learn more about using a search table (Available in Norwegian only)

Finding Search Terms

Finding the right search terms is the key to conducting a good literature search.

Developing an effective literature search is a process that takes time. Do not underestimate how much time needs to be allocated for this! As you search, you will notice which academic terms recur in the titles and abstracts of the articles. New words may emerge along the way, and these should be included in your future searches.

Learn more about documenting your searches.

In the process of writing your assignment, you will read up on the topic you intend to write about. Take note of the academic terms that are used. These terms can serve as excellent search keywords.

If you come across an article or a book that seems relevant to what you are writing about, you may discover useful search terms by looking through the titles of the sources listed in the reference list.

You can consult GPTUiO to find suitable search terms for a specific topic.For example, "What are good search terms for dementia?"

In dictionaries, you will find synonyms for the word you are looking up. Find dictionaries that you have access to here.

When you find a relevant article in a database, you can click on the title field. This will take you to a page that shows an overview of the subject terms assigned to the article (Descriptors/Subject terms). These are often excellent search terms!

Many articles include a list of keywords that the authors have provided underneath the abstract. If these are difficult to spot, check the article in PDF format. These words are often central academic terms that reflect the content of the article. They are also great search terms!

MeSH subject terms are specific terms or concepts used to tag and classify, among other things, scientific articles. When an article is published, it is assigned a series of standardized subject terms that reflect its content.

When you search for medical information, you can use MeSH subject terms to find relevant resources based on specific topics or diseases. MeSH is the subject heading system for the Medline database. Other databases may have different subject heading systems.

Wondering if certain keywords can be subject terms? You can check this in this resource. Enter the keyword in Norwegian and see if you get any hits.

Before You Start Your Literature Search

Reference management tools are programs that help you keep track of your citations while you write. These programs can also create formatted reference lists for you. Read more on the page about Zotero.

The library offers courses and user support for Zotero. Stay tuned for the next course schedule.

Choosing the Type of Literature Review

There are various forms of literature reviews. Before you start your work on searching for literature, it is important to decide on the type of literature review you want to write. It may be wise to discuss this with your supervisor.

Bachelor’s Level

For bachelor’s students, the requirements and structure of the literature review will be guided by the examination texts and guidelines of their programs. A bachelor's thesis is smaller in scope and will not be able to handle as large amounts of literature as a master's thesis.

Recommended Literature (General about Literature Reviews)

Persson. (2021). Hvordan skrive en litteraturgjennomgang?: En praktisk guide. Universitetsforlaget.

Forsberg, C. & Wengström, Y. (2013). Att göra systematiska litteraturstudier. (3.utg.). Natur och kultur.

Aveyard, H. (2023). Doing a literature review in health and social care: A practical guide (5. utg). McGraw-Hill Education.

Thidemann, I-J. (2019). Bacheloroppgaven for sykepleierstudenter: Den lille motivasjonsboken i akademisk oppgaveskriving (2. utg.). Universitetsforlaget.

Nortvedt, M. W, Jamtvedt, G., Graverholdt, B., Gundersen, M. W. (2021). Jobb kunnskapsbasert! En arbeidsbok. (3. utg.). Cappelen Damm Akademisk

Master’s Level

Master’s students can choose between different types of literature reviews. This resource page is limited to Scoping reviews, Rapid reviews, Systematic reviews, and Meta-syntheses/Qualitative literature reviews. It is important that you clearly define the type of literature review you will write and adhere as closely as possible to the methodological requirements associated with the review you choose. Therefore, it is useful to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the method early in the process of your master's thesis. Also, check whether the assignment instructions provide specific methodological guidelines.

Systematic reviews aim to summarize previous research in a systematic manner. This type of literature review often has strict guidelines for conducting searches, selection, and quality assessment of scientific articles.

Recommended Literature

Prisma 2020 Checklist? PRISMA 2020 checklist — PRISMA statement

Reinar, L. M., & Jamtvedt, G. (2010). Hvordan skrive en systematisk oversikt? Sykepleien forskning, 3, 238–246. https://doi.org/10.4220/sykepleienf.2010.0121

A rapid review is based on the same methodological requirements as a systematic review, but the search process is conducted over a shorter timeframe and has a smaller scope.

Recommended Literature

Dobbins, M. (2017). Rapid Review Guidebook. Steps for conducting a rapid review. https://www.nccmt.ca/uploads/media/media/0001/02/800fe34eaedbad09edf80ad5081b9291acf1c0c2.pdf

A scoping review is used to map and summarize existing research on a field or topic. The goal is to provide an overview of existing knowledge and identify knowledge gaps. There are no requirements for quality assessment of the publications included in the study.

Recommended Literature

Ringnes, H. K., & Thørrisen, M. M. (2024). Scoping review : En systematisk og fleksibel metode for kunnskapsoppsummering. Cappelen Damm akademisk.

Munn, Z., Peters, M. D. J., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 18(1), 143–143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x

Peters, M. D., Marnie, C., Tricco, A. C., Pollock, D., Munn, Z., Alexander, L., ... & Khalil, H. (2020). Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews. JBI evidence synthesis, 18(10), 2119-2126. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBIES-20-00167

Video

Peters MDJ, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil, H. Scoping Reviews (2020). I E.Aromataris, C. Lockwood, K. Porritt, B. Pilla, Z. Jordan (Red.).. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. https://jbi-global-wiki.refined.site/space/MANUAL/355862497/10.+Scoping+reviews

Meta-syntheses are limited to including qualitative studies, and in the results from these, one looks for common themes and patterns. The aim is to go deeper than merely summarizing and synthesizing previous research; it is also to find new meanings, discover new connections, and/or develop an overarching understanding of a phenomenon based on the analysis of the included articles.

Recommended Literature

Malterud, K. (2017). Kvalitativ metasyntese som forskningsmetode i medisin og helsefag. Universitetsforlaget.

An umbrella review is based on existing knowledge summaries and aims to assess the quality of and summarize these reviews.

For an overview of more forms of literature reviews:

Borch, A., Thorvik, Camilla, Wollscheid, S., & Ødemark, I. L. (2024). Kunnskapsoppsummeringer for samfunnsvitere. Cappelen Damm akademisk.

Searching in Databases

Different databases have different academic profiles. You will find information about usage (search guidelines) and access to the various databases on the library's subject resource page.

Critical Evaluation (Checklists)

Most forms of literature reviews require a critical evaluation of articles relevant to include in the study. There are several checklists that can be used in the process of critically evaluating the articles.

Read about checklists at the:

Helsebiblioteket (Health Library). (Available in norwegian only)
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
JBI

Recommended Literature

Nortvedt, M. W, Jamtvedt, G., Graverholdt, B., Gundersen, M. W. (2021). Jobb kunnskapsbasert! En arbeidsbok. (3. utg.). Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

Screening Tools

Screening tools are aids used to ensure that relevant research is included in the study. These tools help to systematize and streamline the selection of articles. They are most applicable for those writing literature reviews at the master's level.

Covidence is an online tool used when working with various types of review articles. Covidence can be used in several stages of the work on a review article: 1) Screening of titles and abstracts, 2) Screening of full text, 3) Data extraction, and 4) Assessment of methodological quality. Covidence also creates a PRISMA flow diagram of the process.

Read more about Covidence. (Available in Norwegian only).

Rayyan is a program for screening references for literature reviews. The program allows two individuals to screen the same references independently of each other. Rayyan is web-based.

We recommend the user guide from the University of Oslo (UiO). (Available in Norwegian only).

Recommended Resources

Universitetsbiblioteket i Bergen (u.å.). UB MED 103 Litteraturoppgaver i medisin og helsefag - Student literature reviews in medicine and health sciences. https://mitt.uib.no/courses/38231

PHD on track (u.å.). Review and write. https://www.phdontrack.net/review-and-write/

FHI (u.å.) Slik oppsummerer vi forskning. https://www.fhi.no/ku/oppsummert- forskning-for-helsetjenesten/metodeboka/?term=

Høgskulen på Vestlandet, Universitetet i Bergen & Universitetet i Oslo. (2024, 9. april). Søking. https://www.sokogskriv.no/soking/

Kunnskapsbasertpraksis.no. (2021, 17. september). Kunnskapsbasert praksis. Helsebiblioteket. https://www.helsebiblioteket.no/innhold/artikler/kunnskapsbasert-praksis/kunnskapsbasertpraksis.no

Peters MDJ, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil, H. Scoping Reviews (2020). I E. Aromataris, C. Lockwood, K. Porritt, B. Pilla, Z. Jordan (Red.).. JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. https://jbi-global-wiki.refined.site/space/MANUAL/355862497/10.+Scoping+reviews

Strømme, H. (2019). Litteratursøking i kunnskapsbasert praksis og forsking. Sykepleien Forskning, 14. Article e-61015. https://sykepleien.no/forskning/2017/02/litteratursoking-i-kunnskapsbasert-praksis-og-forskning

Blog

Henitz, M. (2024, 27. mai) Veien gjennom jungelen. Systematiske litteratursøk: Veien gjennom jungelen (litteratursok.blogspot.com)

Modified 15.04.25