This page focuses on how to do an in-depth literature review for a dissertation, thesis, grant application, or lengthy-term paper in engineering and the sciences.
Gather Your Tools
Library Account
Is your library account clear of fines? If not, you may not be allowed to check out more books or renew books you already have. All library notices are emailed to your "wsu.edu" address.
Illiad (Interlibrary Loan) Account
If you don't already have an ILLiad account, please register for one. Interlibrary loan services allow you to borrow materials unavailable at the WSU Library and scan or deliver materials from the libraries on the other WSU campuses.
Do you know what you are looking for? Can you describe your project using one simple sentence, or can you phrase the project as a question? Without a clear idea of the project, you may not be able to determine which are the best resources to search for, what terminology should be used in those resources, and if the results are appropriate and sufficient.
If you're having difficulty getting your project described succinctly, try using a PICO chart to identify the concepts involved:
Example:
Client: A manufacturer of advanced nuclear fuel rods has faced recent concerns regarding material integrity during reactor operation. Regulatory inspections have highlighted potential issues with fuel rod microstructure and fabrication processes, raising questions about material performance and safety.
Current Practices: The manufacturer currently relies on established fuel rod designs and fabrication techniques, with quality control focused primarily on adherence to existing protocols. However, inspectors have suggested that a deeper understanding of material science and innovative engineering approaches could improve fuel rod performance and address safety concerns.
Research Question: Can optimizing fuel rod microstructure and fabrication processes through advancements in material science contribute to enhanced safety and performance in nuclear reactors, compared to solely relying on established protocols?
PICO Chart:
Also, don't forget to determine if your project has limits. For example:
Take a simple sentence or question that describes what you are looking for. What are the concepts in the sentence? Are there synonyms that describe the same concept? If you filled out a PICO chart, concentrate on the P (problem) and the I (intervention) for the concept chart.
Concept Chart:
Concept 1: _______ OR _______ OR _______
AND
Concept 2: _______ OR _______ OR _______
AND
Concept 3: _______ OR _______ OR _______
Example:
I am looking for ways that human factors engineering can improve safety in the nuclear power industry.
Concept 1: "nuclear power" OR "nuclear industry"
AND
Concept 2: "safety" OR "accident prevention"
AND
Concept 3: "human factors engineering"
What resources you'll use for your literature review depends on what types of materials you want to find.
Now, it's time to apply your search strategy to the resources you've decided to use.