Literature Review Service Germany: 11 Questions Researchers Ask Before Commissioning Literature Review and Gap Analysis Support

Researchers in Germany ask us the same questions before commissioning a literature review service with gap analysis. The answers below cover scope, the literature review process, timelines, cost drivers, authorship and German-specific rules, and each points to the guide with more detail.

1. What does literature review and gap analysis support cover?

Any stage of a literature review: defining the question and review type, designing and running the search, screening, extraction, synthesis and writing the gap statement. You choose the stages you need, and your team keeps control of the question and conclusions. We can start from a draft question or an existing search. Read next: the ten steps in a literature review.

2. Which review type do we need?

It depends on the purpose. A thesis background, a grant application and a publishable review need different rigour, and the review type decides how systematic the search and appraisal must be [5]. We agree the type at the start and record it in the protocol; if you need full systematic review support, the scope changes accordingly. Read next: types of literature review.

3. How do you build the search?

In concept blocks: controlled vocabulary such as MeSH plus free-text synonyms joined with OR, and blocks joined with AND. We keep NOT to a minimum because it can remove relevant records, and we record each string with the date it was run. Read next: Boolean operators for literature searches.

4. Is the search peer reviewed?

Where the project calls for it, a second searcher checks the strategy against the PRESS 2015 guideline before the final run, and the review is described in the methods. Confirm the practice for your project at scoping. Read next: the PRESS checklist explained.

5. How long does a literature review take?

It depends on the review type, the number of databases and how many records the search returns. A stage-by-stage plan is more useful than a single number, because searching and screening vary most between projects. Your own deadline is the starting point for a realistic plan.

6. What drives the cost?

Mainly the volume of work: the number of sources, records to screen, studies to extract, languages covered, whether the search must be updated and how formal the gap analysis must be. A draft question or scope note gives a more accurate quotation than a topic alone.

7. Can you give a fixed price before we share the question?

Not reliably. Without the question, scope and expected record volume, any price would be a guess. A short scoping description is enough for a quotation, and stages can be added or removed later.

8. Who is the author of the review and the gap statement?

Your team. Under the ICMJE recommendations, authors make substantial contributions to the work, draft or critically revise it, approve the final version and agree to be accountable for it [1]. Writing assistance that does not meet those criteria is acknowledged, in line with GPP 2022 [2]. For German institutions, the DFG Code of Conduct sets the same expectation in its authorship guideline [4].

9. Do you guarantee funding or acceptance?

No, and nobody can. Funders, editors and reviewers decide. We improve methods and reporting quality, which addresses common objections, but we make no guarantees of funding or acceptance.

10. Can we use text and data mining tools on full texts?

Automated analysis of works is text and data mining, which German copyright law covers in § 44b and § 60d UrhG. § 60d covers research organisations and non-commercial researchers; under § 44b a rights holder can reserve use, in machine-readable form for online works. Check lawful access and publisher terms first, and take legal advice where the user or purpose is unclear. Read next: text and data mining rules in the EU and Germany.

11. Which German sources should we search?

Alongside international databases, consider the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), run by the BfArM [3], and German-language sources in your field. Search in German as well as English where the topic calls for it, and record each source and date in your search log. Read next: where to search for grey literature.