Skip to Main Content

How to do a Literature Review

the basic steps for a literature review

Documenting your search

Date

Database

Platform of the database 

all search terms with operators

all limits (English, year, etc)

Example

OVID (platform) MEDLINE (database) 2.2.24 - no limits/filters

Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL <1946 to February 01, 2024>

1    Continuous Positive Airway Pressure/    9400
2    cpap.ti,ab,kw,kf.    10807
3    (continuous adj2 positive adj2 airway adj2 pressure).ti,ab,kw,kf.    12156
4    1 or 2 or 3    18006
5    Positive-Pressure Respiration/    18466
6    (positive adj2 pressure adj3 respiration).ti,ab,kw,kf.    609
7    5 or 6    18610
8    Intubation/    6068
9    intubation.ti,ab,kw.    57624
10    8 or 9    61265
11    4 and 7 and 10    231

How you might write this up:

We searched terms for CPAP in OVID MEDLINE on Feb 2024.