Do not wait with the literature search until the last minute! Make time for it and consider it an integral part of project writing
Use your lecturer, supervisor or librarian for help and clarification.
Please be targeted and systematic - make a search strategy.
Search in different ways for different purposes: For inspiration, for facts, for documentation or for perspective-setting.
Always remember to state your sources.
Always check your academic rules and regulations for special requirements when handling sources.
Be consistent in your source references: Write them in the same way every time
Take a critical approach to your sources: Always assess the credibility and usefulness
Your search for literature can be helped tremendously by a good search strategy.
As a general rule, it can make sense to start broad and narrow your search to become more and more specific.
You can use the following approaches:
Often the first search on the internet or in encyclopedias. very broad with few, common keywords
Provides a quick overview over related keywords (key concepts, terms, authors...) and subject databases for further research
systematic probing of keywords in all relevant databases. Keywords e.g. found via free-text search (see above), include key concepts, terms, synonyms, alternative spelling, search keywords in other languages
combination of keywords via "AND", "OR" and "NOT" to expand or refine searches
filtering of search results, e.g. by time period, geography or source type (e.g. journal articles, newspaper entries...)
repetition of searches to include the newest sources added to searched databases
use one source's bibliography/list of references to find your next source
bear in mind: the longer your search chain, the older the source at the end of the chain