what is literature search

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous research. It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the author) determine the nature of your research. The literature review acknowledges the work of previous researchers, and in so doing, assures the reader that your work has been well conceived. It is assumed that by mentioning a previous work in the field of study, that the author has read, evaluated, and assimiliated that work into the work at hand.
A literature review creates a “landscape” for the reader, giving her or him a full understanding of the developments in the field. This landscape informs the reader that the author has indeed assimilated all (or the vast majority of) previous, significant works in the field into her or his research.

define what you are searching for
decide where to search
develop a search strategy
refine your search strategy
save your search for future use.

For background reading or an introduction to a subject, you can do a shorter and more basic Library search.

For your assignments, projects and dissertations you will need to perform a literature search: this is a search to find existing literature and information about your chosen topic; you then use this literature to support any arguments or hypotheses you make.
You may also be asked to produce a literature review which summarises and analyses the literature you have found through your research. When writing essays, you use relevant literature to support your arguments; in a literature review, the literature itself is the subject of discussion. The aim of a literature review is to show your tutor that you have read, and have a good grasp of, the main published work concerning a particular topic or question in your field.

Write out a clear, detailed statement of your research question.
Identify the concepts which your research question includes.
List keywords which describe the concepts including synonyms, acronyms, alternative spellings including American spelling and plurals.
Identify subject headings which describe the concepts.
Develop your search strategy using this Search Strategy Worksheet:

“The literature review chapter in the thesis, then, justifies the proposed research by identifying trends or gaps in the literature, and, by a review of relevant studies, demonstrates that you understand the relevant literature and shows how your study will contribute to that body of knowledge.”

The structure of a literature review may vary according to your specific subject but it will normally include these three areas:

Survey the literature and select the most important contributions on your topic
Critically evaluate the literature to identify key developments, trends, issues, gaps in knowledge
Present your findings in a clear and coherent manner

Use the red tabs to the left to access the various pages in this guide. If you have any questions while here, use the Help box to the left to contact us.
This guide brings together all the resources you will need to understand what a literature review is (and isn’t), and to conduct and write your own literature review.

A well-executed Literature Review can eliminate hours of wasted effort and help build a solid foundation on which to construct your research. It will show you what is already known, what needs to be known, and how to develop your research methodology.

It’s easy to digress when searching the literature. Formulate clear questions that your Review will answer, and don’t deviate from them.
Finding information is easy. A critical appraisal of what you find is more difficult, but crucial. Avoid the urge to identify, acquire and assimilate all articles that may possibly be of interest.
Fully document all aspects of your Review, including objectives, sources used, searches conducted, and date and time. It’s easy to duplicate efforts if you don’t keep adequate notes.

What is literature search
A good literature review will consist of a summary of key sources, and is analytical and synthesizes information. Usually a literature review is organized, not however a chronological description of discoveries in your field, and explains how your research will address gaps in existing literature on a particular topic.
Engineering & Science (Biochemistry & Microbiology) Librarian

References:

http://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1404/literature_searching/14/literature_searching_explained
http://libguides.city.ac.uk/SHS-Litsearchguide/definitions
http://libguides.library.nuigalway.ie/LiteratureReview
http://library.bath.ac.uk/literaturesearch
http://libguides.wpi.edu/literaturereview
http://about.proquest.com/researchers/graduate-student/expert-advice-researching/Literature-Review.html
http://libguides.uvic.ca/engineering_literature_reviews
http://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/succeeding-in-literature-reviews-and-research-project-plans-for-nursing-students/book263255