Literature Search strategy for Ph.D. scholars

Conduct a rapid umbrella literature search for scoping and topic selection

Objective of conducting a literature search at the stage of topic selection is different from conducting a literature search for review purposes. This stage is different because you have not yet finalized the topic of your PhD research. As advised in the previous article on topic selection, you should carry out a literature search when you have:

1. Chosen the class of data that you can obtain with ease
2. Have identified the area or sub-area or category or keyword of your research topic
3. Identified some research topics and have a much clearer picture

Armed with a data set as mentioned in point 1 above, Keyword of your research topic as mentioned in point 2 above and some research topics as mentioned in point 3 above; you are now ready to finalize your topic by zeroing in on the research gap. Therefore, the primary objective of literature search at this stage is to identify a viable research gap. While conducting a literature search at this stage a PhD scholar should keep in mind the following hierarchy:

1. Keyword or the research area is the academic field / domain / discipline which will be driven by the data set you have chosen and should be of your interest or past training or current practice
2. Literature titles when grouped or categorized into different buckets will give you research topics or the research sub-area or research theme or subjects of research which you can pursue
3. Objectives of the literature when grouped or categorized into different buckets will give you various concepts / ideas / theories / ideological basis of that research and that you can pursue within your final topic
4. Questions asked within the literature when grouped or categorized into different buckets will give you various approaches / methods / arguments used in that research that are plausible for your own research objectives
5. Hypotheses put forward within the literature when grouped or categorized into different buckets will give you the evidence / proof that can be applied to answer the relevant research question and attain the specific research objective within your final topic
6. Geographic focus of the literature will give you the problems that are affecting that geography and to see if it can fit your chosen data set
7. Publication ages of literature when grouped with keyword, titles, objectives, questions and geography will give you the direction in which current research is progressing and this should also be analyzed within each geography or at-least your intended targeted geography
8. Number of citations of the literature coupled with geography and publication ages will give you the relevance and age of the problem and if that problem exists within your chosen data set
9. Literature category is also an important device to know what research is current, new and old and therefore, where your final topic should be

Literature category

1. Review articles that are published in journals by professional practicing researchers correspond to state of the art research in a field and can be considered current research
2. PhD Theses that are published by novice researchers usually specific to a geography is usually in-between new and current research
3. Research articles that are published in journals by professional practicing researchers correspond to new contributions to subject and can be considered new research
4. Published text books and chapters by academics and professional practicing researchers is scientifically proven theory and can be considered old research