Explain the steps involved in performing a literture search, and why the literature search is called an iterative process?no

There is no set formula, look in the Cochrane Library
online they publsih guidlines for systamatic reviews (a hard nosed lit
search)

Set out a clear research
question

Decide on the databses you will
search

Design a search stratagy that will retrieve all the
target papers (use wild cards like Cult* to get cultural, culturally etc, use operators
like OR to connect synonyms , eg Trial OR
investigation.

Develop a set of screenig criteria to screen
out unwanted papers

Screen them out using title and
abstract

Read the remaining papers and screen out if
needed

manually search the reference sections and
bibliographys for more relavant papers

Analyse jiournal
title and all authors from the final papers for ones that publish the type of article
you want and target search them

Review the papers, this is
best done in catagories that address the research
question

Critically evaluate the
papers

The above steps are not strictly iterative ( doing
it over and over again) but not far off, as well as that if it goeas on for more than a
couple of weeks you need to  "Rinse and repeat" as new papers are added to databases all
the time

Silverstrummer