A literature search tracker helps you organise and document your search process across databases. By recording search terms, synonyms, Boolean operators, limiters, results and changes between searches, you can maintain consistency and create a clear audit trail of how your search developed.

What Should You Include In A Literature Search Tracker?

Literature searches can quickly become difficult to manage. You may be working across multiple databases, tweaking keywords, testing synonyms, changing Boolean operators and adding limiters. Without a system for documenting these decisions, it can become difficult to keep track of your own work.

A literature search tracker brings the process together in one place. It allows you to organise your search process, track what you have done and maintain consistency. It can be used for students conducting an exploratory search as well as those undertaking systematic literature reviews.

The tracker is structured into different sheets based on common research frameworks: PICO, SPIDER, PCC and a flexible version. You do not need to use all of them. Choose the one that fits your research. If you are doing an exploratory search or are not using a framework, you can use the flexible version.

How Do You Set Up A PCC Literature Search?

Start by entering your review question. For example:

How is artificial intelligence used within physiotherapy education to improve knowledge and skills in stroke and neurological rehabilitation?

Next, define your PCC elements:

• Population: pre-qualification physiotherapy students
• Concept: artificial intelligence
• Context: stroke and neurological rehabilitation

At this stage, list synonyms for each element. For example, artificial intelligence could include terms such as natural language processing, large language models and concept mapping.

Listing these synonyms helps you avoid missing key terms as you develop and refine your search string. Your framework elements and synonyms also give you something to refer back to when checking whether your search remains aligned with your review question.

How Do You Document Your Literature Searches?

Once you begin searching, document each search in the tracker. For example, if PubMed is the first database you are using, run your first search and then copy and paste the full search string into the tracker.

Record:

• The searched terms
• The Boolean operators
• Any limiters you have used
• The number of results
• The search link

This means that everything is documented.

When you refine your search, do not start from scratch. Copy the previous version, make the changes you need and record exactly what you changed in the notes.

This allows every iteration to be tracked and every decision to remain visible. As you move across different databases, your previous searches are available so you can maintain consistency in your strategy.

Why Should You Track Changes To Your Search Strategy?

Students can tweak their searches without documenting the changes. After a while, they may no longer know what worked, what did not work, or how they arrived at their final results.

A literature search tracker provides a clear audit trail of your searches and of your thinking as the search evolves.

You can refer back to your review question to stay aligned with your objective. Your framework elements and synonyms help you check that you have not missed anything.

The same process works for PICO, SPIDER and PEO frameworks. You can also include additional components. For example, you might want to exclude certain terms using NOT, or include an additional concept such as simulation in physiotherapy.

The miscellaneous search terms column gives you this flexibility without breaking the overall structure.

Can You Use A Literature Search Tracker Without A Framework?

A framework does not always fit the search you are conducting. You might still be developing your research idea or doing a more exploratory search.

In these cases, you can use the flexible tracker. It works in the same way: define your key terms and follow the same process of documenting and refining your searches.

This makes the tracker flexible enough for different types of literature searching. You can use it for an exploratory search or for a more structured literature review process.

You can download the literature search tracker for free from the resource hub.

The tracker provides one place to document your search process, maintain consistency and keep track of how your search decisions developed over time.