Literature Reviews

Identifying a well-defined research question is the first step in the literature review process. For undergraduates, professors will often assign a broad topic for a literature review assignment. You will need to more narrowly define your question before you can begin the research process. Do a preliminary search on your topic in either Google Scholar or one of the Library's databases and see how many results you find. If you don't find any or only a few, your topic may be too narrow. If you find 500,000, it's probably too broad.

For example, the following research question is too broad.

Does social media affect mental health in college students?

A more focused research question could be:

Does social media play a role in the number of eating disorder diagnoses in college-aged women?

Need some guidance? Contact your subject librarian for a research consultation or reach out to asklib@duke.edu.

Start the brainstorming process:

• Begin by identifying a broad topic of research interest (the more you're personally interested in it, the better!). Write it down to clarify your focus.
• Narrow down your scope by considering specific areas within this topic that you want to explore.
• Identify key themes and elements related to these specific areas. These will be the building blocks of your investigation.
• Finally, integrate these key areas and elements into a well-crafted research question.

One way to brainstorm is to use a flowchart.

The scope of a topic encompasses the boundaries and constraints you set for your research. The more precise your research question, the smoother the research process becomes.

Feeling stuck? Here are some ways you can narrow down your topic:

• geographic location
• time period
• discipline/field of study
• population
• language
• age group, etc.

Generative AI is a helpful assistant when you're figuring out exactly what to study for a research paper. It gives you specific suggestions and helps you narrow down your focus. This makes it easier to decide exactly what you want to explore in your literature review. The key to using generative AI for this purpose is to use good prompts!

Example

You: I need to conduct a literature review about social media, mental health, and college students. What are some example research questions within this topic?

ChatGPT: 

1. How does the frequency and nature of social media use impact the mental health of college students?
2. What role do specific social media platforms play in influencing the mental well-being of college students?
3. How do online social interactions on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter relate to the mental health outcomes of college students?
4. Are there differences in the association between social media use and mental health outcomes based on demographic factors such as gender, age, or academic major among college students?
5. What strategies do college students employ to cope with negative mental health effects associated with social media use?
6. How does the perception of social support through online platforms affect the mental health of college students?
7. To what extent does the comparison of oneself to others on social media contribute to mental health challenges among college students?
8. What interventions or educational programs are effective in promoting positive mental health behaviors in the context of social media use for college students?
9. How do social media literacy and awareness programs impact the mental health attitudes and behaviors of college students?
10. What is the relationship between the use of social media for academic and social purposes and the mental health outcomes of college students?

Generative AI tools: ChatGPT, Google Gemini (formerly Bard), Claude, Microsoft Copilot

For more information on how to incorporate AI tools into your research, check out the section on AI Tools.