About scoping searches
A scoping search is a quick database search with 1 or 2 concepts in a research topic. It can help you:
- learn more about a topic
- determine the extent of existing research on your topic
- identify key authors and papers
- narrow your topic to a research question
- plan a comprehensive search strategy for a literature review.
Where to do a scoping search
A scoping search can be run in:
- the library catalogue
- library databases
- search engines (e.g. Google or Google Scholar)
Multidisciplinary databases like Scopus are useful scoping tools because of their wide subject coverage.
How to do a scoping search
To run a scoping search, type one term from each concept into the search bar and combine them with AND. In a database like Scopus, you can enter each term on its own line in the advanced search.
Look through the results of your scoping search to find:
- key papers and leading journals in the research area
- notable authors publishing research on the topic
- synonyms for your concepts that can be included in your search.
Re-run the search with different terms to expand your knowledge of the topic and narrow your research question.