title: Literature search for research planning and identification of research problem.
abstract: Literature search is a key step in performing good authentic research. It helps in formulating a research question and planning the study. The available published data are enormous; therefore, choosing the appropriate articles relevant to your study in question is an art. It can be time-consuming, tiring and can lead to disinterest or even abandonment of search in between if not carried out in a step-wise manner. Various databases are available for performing literature search. This article primarily stresses on how to formulate a research question, the various types and sources for literature search, which will help make your search specific and time-saving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Anju
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grewal
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Hanish
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataria
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dhawan
keywords: Literature; methods; research planning