Abstract

It is unusual to find a description of the literature review process in environmental and conservation-based research reports, however transparent and repeatable systematic research processes are key to establishing the rigor and validity of the literature review. The purpose of this article is to provide researchers with specific tools and strategies for conducting effective and efficient literature reviews. A solid methodology is essential to undergird an evidence-based approach to research and the review of the concomitant literature. To demonstrate the tools, techniques, and other key elements, the authors use their experience conducting a literature review on water conservation research pertinent to southwest Florida’s Rookery Bay Estuary. The core concepts from this article’s formal systematic literature review framework, including the principles of transparency, duplicability, expansiveness, and the limitation of bias, positively impact the mechanics of the process including establishing search criteria, conducting the search, coding the sources, and writing the review. Strategies of resource application (i.e., social science librarians and gray literature), the role of research questions throughout the literature review, and approaches to audience inclusion as well as tools such as inclusion criteria, beneficial checklists, and a coding matrix further systematize the literature review process.