Efficient Search Strategies for Dissertations, Essays and Assignments: Databases, Grey Literature and Alerts
A strong literature review starts with efficient, reproducible search strategies. Whether you’re preparing a dissertation, essay or assignment, focused searching saves time and improves the quality and credibility of your literature base. This guide covers the best databases, where to find grey literature, and how to use alerts to keep your review current.
Why search strategy matters
- Ensures comprehensive coverage of relevant literature.
- Reduces bias by capturing peer-reviewed and non‑peer‑reviewed sources.
- Enables reproducibility and transparency for dissertations and systematic reviews.
- Keeps you up to date via automated alerts during long projects.
Core databases: what to use and when
Use a mix of multidisciplinary and subject-specific databases. Below is a quick comparison to help you choose.
| Database | Coverage / Subject | Best for | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Scholar | Multidisciplinary, includes articles, theses, reports | Broad sweeps, citation chaining, grey literature hints | Free |
| Scopus | Multidisciplinary, strong citation data | Bibliometrics, citation mapping, comprehensive coverage | Subscription |
| Web of Science | Multidisciplinary, high-quality journal coverage | High-impact journals, citation analysis, historical records | Subscription |
| PubMed | Medicine, public health, life sciences | Clinical and biomedical literatures | Free |
| JSTOR | Humanities & social sciences (archival journal backfiles) | Older literature, historical context | Subscription |
| AJOL (African Journals Online) | African research across disciplines | Regional journals and context | Free/varies |
| ProQuest Dissertations & Theses | Global theses and dissertations | Full-text theses and methodological details | Subscription / institutional access |
| Institutional repositories | University theses, working papers, reports | Local theses, unpublished work, datasets | Free |
Grey literature: sources you must check
Grey literature (reports, theses, conference papers, policy documents) often contains critical, up‑to‑date evidence not in journals. Key sources and search tips:
| Source type | Where to search | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Theses & dissertations | ProQuest, university repositories, national libraries | Search institutional repositories and use “thesis” or “dissertation” as a keyword |
| Government reports | Government (.gov / .gov.za) portals, department websites | Use site: filters (e.g., site:.gov.za) in Google |
| NGO & think‑tank reports | Organization websites (World Bank, WHO, local NGOs) | Check publications and research pages, use author/organization names in searches |
| Conference papers | Proceedings in IEEE, ACM; conference websites | Search conference series name + year; check institutional pages for accepted abstracts |
| Preprints | arXiv, medRxiv, SSRN | Good for the latest research before peer review |
| Databases for grey lit | OpenGrey, National ETDs (e.g., EThOS) | Use OpenGrey for European reports; search national ETD portals for local theses |
Practical Google filters:
- site:ac.za "climate change" filetype:pdf
- site:gov.za "policy" AND "2020"
Building effective search queries
Start broad, then refine—document each step. Use Boolean operators, phrase searching, truncation and field tags.
- Boolean basics:
- AND narrows (e.g., climate AND adaptation)
- OR broadens (e.g., adolescent OR youth)
- NOT excludes (use sparingly)
- Phrase search with quotes: "social capital"
- Truncation/wildcards: adapt* (adapt, adaptation, adapting)
- Field tags (where supported): TI(title): TI("food security")
Sample search string for topical searches:
"climate change" AND ("small-scale farmers" OR "smallholder farmers") AND (adapt* OR resilient*) AND (South Africa OR "sub-Saharan Africa")
Document: database name, date searched, search string, and number of hits.
Citation chaining and snowballing
- Backward citation searching: review reference lists of key papers.
- Forward citation searching: use Google Scholar, Scopus or Web of Science to see who cited a key study.
- Snowballing both directions often uncovers seminal works and obscure reports.
Setting up alerts to stay current
Automate monitoring to avoid re-running searches manually.
Alert types:
- Database saved searches (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed)
- Google Scholar alerts for search strings or author names
- RSS feeds and Feedly for journal TOCs and institutional repository feeds
- Email alerts from journals and publishers
- Reference manager integrations (Zotero, Mendeley) to import new items
Alert best practice:
- Use precise queries to reduce noise.
- Combine alerts with weekly triage: skim titles, save relevant items, and add to your reference library.
- Deduplicate entries regularly in your reference manager.
Workflow checklist: efficient search process
- Define review question and key concepts (PICO/PECOS if applicable).
- Identify 4–6 core databases + subject-specific sources.
- Create and refine search strings; test in one database.
- Run searches, export results to a reference manager.
- Perform citation chaining (forward and backward).
- Search grey literature sources and institutional repositories.
- Set up alerts and RSS feeds for ongoing updates.
- Document search methods for your methodology chapter or appendix.
Tools and plugins that speed up searching
- Reference managers: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote (for organizing & deduplication).
- Browser extensions: Google Scholar Button, Unpaywall (find open access copies).
- Alert aggregators: Feedly for RSS, Google Alerts for web-based updates.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Overly narrow searches — expand with synonyms and OR operators.
- Relying on one database — combine multidisciplinary and regional databases.
- Ignoring grey literature — include theses, reports, and preprints to avoid publication bias.
- Poor documentation — keep a search log for reproducibility.
Next steps (recommended reading from our Literature Review & Synthesis pillar)
- How to Write a Systematic Literature Review for Dissertations, Essays and Assignments: Protocols and Examples
- Thematic and Narrative Synthesis Techniques for Dissertations, Essays and Assignments: From Codes to Concepts
- Building a Conceptual Framework for Your Dissertation, Essay or Assignment: Stepwise Approach
- Literature Mapping and Gap Analysis for Dissertations, Essays and Assignments: Tools and Templates
- Critical Synthesis: Turning Sources into Argument for Dissertations, Essays and Assignments
- Integrating Conflicting Evidence in Dissertations, Essays and Assignments: Strategies for Balanced Synthesis
- Referencing vs. Reviewing: Structuring a Literature Review Chapter for Dissertations, Essays and Assignments
- Systematic Review vs. Traditional Review: Choosing the Right Approach for Your Dissertation, Essay or Assignment
- Using Conceptual Model Diagrams to Strengthen Your Dissertation, Essay and Assignment Literature Review
Contact us
Need help with literature searching, drafting, or proofreading for your dissertation, essay or assignment? Contact MzansiWriters:
- Click the WhatsApp icon on this page,
- Email: info@mzansiwriters.co.za, or
- Use the Contact Us page accessed via the main menu.
Efficient searches make literature reviews stronger and faster — use the strategies above to build a robust evidence base for your work.