Intro to Review Literature

If you are working on a traditional narrative review, your needs will be simpler than for a systematic review. For a literature review, you will likely only need tools available from within databases and a citation manager. Larger projects have more tasks.

Tasks and some methods:

• Development of search strategy
  • Personal notes - Organization and note software, ex: Evernote
  • Individual accounts in databases, ex: EBSCOhost saved histories
  • Permalinks to searches, ex: EBBSCO Permalinks, Clarivate
• Identification of articles/store results
  • Citation management program
• Screening/application of criteria
  • Combination of software, ex: Google Forms to spreadsheet
  • Designated systematic review software, ex: Syras, Rayyan, etc.

Database individual accounts (e.g., ProQuest folder, EBSCOHost folder)

• Manage citations
• Save searches (Boolean and search sets)
• Access full text via database HTML links, or linked PDF files
• You cannot link or save PDF files that aren't in the database record
• You can send citations to citation management programs
• You can create a rough bibliography (not in text) citation for pasting into a document

Citation management programs

• Manage citations in a personal database
• Insert formatted citations (both in text and bibliography) into your word processing program
• Change citation styles throughout a document
• Attach files to references (types may vary according to the manager)
• All have some type of sharing, but details and maximum number of users vary according to the manager

RefWorks: A cloud-based system (log in online)

• Works with Google Doc and Microsoft Word

EndNote: A client-based system (downloadable program) with a cloud space for back-up.

• Works with Microsoft Word and other traditional client-based word processing programs
• Manual or automatic sync with the cloud space

These two systems are fully supported by UGA Libraries. Get them for free through UGA Libraries. You can get one-on-one assistance and training from a UGA Librarian. There is also a toll free technical support number.

Mendeley: A client-based system (downloadable program) with cloud space for back-up.

• Works with Microsoft Word ano other traditional client-based word processing programs
• Contains user profiles, and allows you to browse or follow users
• Has a free tier and a pay tier
• NOT supported by UGA, but some librarians or faculty may have expertise

Example: EndNote -> Google Forms -> Excel

Note: This shows an outdated version of EndNote but is still an excellent example of how to handle a workflow.

The faculty member keeps track of search strategies in an Excel file. Each strategy has a number. The citations pulled for each strategy are placed into EndNote X7 Groups for organization. He creates a separate group for all search strategies in order to use the "Find Duplicates" feature.

In EndNote 21, you can also use Group Sets to see a total for the sub-sets or groups. This will allow you to highlight references for "Find Duplicates". However, there may be reasons to keep duplicates in a separate set.

The video also shows using a Google Form to streamline and standardize analysis notes.

Sample of video starts at 3:41, but you are welcome to select "Play from beginning" for the entire video.