01 / Literature
Literature search and review
Every good piece of research starts with reading the right things in the right order. This section covers search strategies and databases, how to structure a literature review, how to spot a gap that is worth filling and how to phrase a research question your supervisor will accept.
4 pages
In this section
01
How to write a literature review: structure and steps
How to write a literature review that argues rather than lists: choose a structure, synthesise sources, evaluate them critically and lead to your research gap.
02
Literature search: a step-by-step method that works
A practical method for a systematic literature search: define concepts, pick databases, build search strings, screen results and document every step.
03
Research gap: how to find one and justify it
What a research gap is, the main types, where to look for one in the literature and how to check that your gap is real, relevant and doable.
04
Research question: how to write one, with examples
How to turn a broad topic into a focused research question: types of questions, criteria such as FINER, frameworks like PICO and examples from weak to strong.
Other sections
02
Research tools compared
Reference managers, AI research assistants, plagiarism checkers and writing assistants compared on features, price, data protection and what your university allows.
03
Academic writing
Research methodology, research proposals, citation styles, thesis structure and the practical last step of printing and binding, explained clearly.
04
Publishing your research
How to choose a journal, prepare and submit a paper, what open access really costs, how peer review works and how to recognise predatory journals.
05
Presenting your research
How to design a scientific poster that people stop for, submit an abstract to a conference and give a talk that fits the time slot.
06
Research careers
How to apply for a PhD, how scholarships and research grants work, and what researchers need to know about patents before they publish.
07
Deep tech explained
Research-heavy technologies explained for non-specialists, starting with emerging memory: MRAM, ReRAM and phase-change memory.