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Leadership and Sustainability

Literature review

The aim of a literature review is to give an overview of what research has been done in a particular field. To do this, researchers gather and carefully study previous peer review articles using a specific method. This method helps in searching for, choosing, presenting, and analyzing research to answer a specific research question. Through a literature review researchers can see where there is consensus or disagreement among studies, and also pinpoint areas where more research is needed.

This guide will take you step by step through the process of gather relevant studies through systematic searching.

More about peer review articles (link to another subject guide)

Key components in the literature review

  • You start with a clearly formulated research question.
  • You conduct exhaustive systematic searches for scientific articles.
  • You select articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.
  • You compile and analyze the results from the included articles.
  • You report on your methodology, including the search terms used, database selection, and the selection process.

What are the key databases?

Search tools for broad and exploratory searches

Initially, it can be beneficial to conduct exploratory searches, where the goal is to explore a topic, identify keywords, and get an overview. Libsearch and Google Scholar are two resourceful search tools for this purpose.

Subject databases for systematic searches

In this section, we have gathered databases that provide access to scientific articles related to leadership and organization. When performing systematic searches, it is important to consult at least two different databases.

If you have any questions, contact us!

lena.wennerholm@mau.se
eva.tornbjer@mau.se