What is a comprehensive literature search? How to know when you’ve exhausted the literature?

Questions to ask . . .
· Do your research results provide a clear chain of evidence in demonstrating the accumulation of knowledge on a particular topic?
· Did you find the first description or research of a particular topic?
· Do scholarly books or monographs verify the first description or research on your particular topic?
· Do your research results using more than one resource continually refer to the same core group of authors and papers?
· Do your research results using more than one resource refer to the same person or research group as being the first to identify or describe a particular topic?
· Have you followed up on relevant references and synonyms that you discovered in your searching?
· Have you located the most current information on the topic?
· Did you consult with recognized experts in the field to ask if they are aware of research you may have missed?
· Have you checked all your references for errata or retractions?
· Have you used a search engine to search the Web to locate materials not indexed by databases?