Introduction – Finding and Appraising Literature
Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Explain the purpose and importance of a literature review in research.
- Locate and evaluate primary and secondary research.
- Describe different types of literature reviews and their uses in nursing research.
- Conduct an effective literature search using relevant databases and search strategies.
- Identify research gaps, contradictions, and key themes in nursing literature.
- Understand how literature reviews inform PICOT questions and study design
- Begin building your own literature review with confidence and academic rigour
A strong research project begins with a solid understanding of what is already known—and what still needs to be explored. In nursing research, the ability to locate, evaluate, and synthesize high-quality literature is essential for building evidence-informed practice, supporting clinical decision-making, and identifying gaps that can strengthen patient care across Canadian health settings.
This chapter introduces you to the processes, tools, and skills needed to find and critically appraise nursing and health-related research. For example, as a nursing student at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), learning to navigate scientific literature will not only support your coursework and undergraduate research opportunities—such as the UREAP Award (https://www.tru.ca/research/undergraduate-research/undergraduate-research-opportunities/ureap-award.html)—but also prepare you for future roles in clinical inquiry, leadership, and graduate study.
A literature review is more than a summary of articles. It is a systematic and critical synthesis of existing research that helps you:
- understand what is already known
- identify strengths, contradictions, and gaps
- refine and justify your own research question
- determine how your work contributes to the broader knowledge base
To do this effectively, you will need to differentiate between types of research literature, understand the major families of literature reviews, and be able to conduct an efficient and comprehensive search using nursing-specific databases such as CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus,and Web of Science.
This chapter begins by explaining the distinction between primary and secondary research literature, followed by an overview of traditional reviews, systematic reviews, qualitative evidence syntheses, mixed-methods reviews, and other purpose-specific review types. You will also learn how to identify credible sources, structure a literature review, and apply critical appraisal skills to evaluate the quality and relevance of nursing research.
Finally, you will be introduced to practical strategies for conducting a literature search the “research way,” using TRU Library resources, Google Scholar, keyword development, and evidence frameworks commonly used in Canadian nursing scholarship.
Developing strong literature-search and appraisal skills is foundational to becoming a competent, evidence-informed nurse. This chapter provides the roadmap to help guide you through that journey.