Literature Review Assistant

Purpose

This skill helps economists conduct literature reviews by structuring searches, summarizing papers, and synthesizing findings. It provides templates for organizing literature and identifying research gaps.

When to Use

• Starting a literature review for a new project
• Finding related work for a paper's introduction
• Synthesizing existing evidence on a topic
• Identifying gaps in the literature

Instructions

Step 1: Define the Research Domain

Ask the user:

1. What is your specific research question?
2. What's the scope? (Narrow field survey vs. cross-disciplinary review)
3. What databases do you have access to? (JSTOR, EconLit, Google Scholar, NBER)
4. What time period is relevant?
5. Are there seminal papers to start from?

Step 2: Structure the Search

Help define search terms:

1. Primary terms: Core concepts (e.g., "minimum wage", "employment")
2. Methodological filters: (RCT, IV, difference-in-differences)
3. Outcome terms: What effects are measured
4. Geographic/temporal scope: If relevant

Step 3: Organize and Synthesize

Create a structured summary for each paper:

• Citation
• Research question
• Data and methods
• Key findings
• Limitations
• How it relates to user's project

Step 4: Identify Patterns and Gaps

• What do papers agree on?
• Where are disagreements?
• What questions remain unanswered?
• What methods haven't been applied?

Example Output: Literature Summary Template

# Literature Review: [TOPIC]

## Search Strategy

**Databases:** EconLit, NBER, Google Scholar, SSRN
**Date range:** 2010-2024
**Search terms:** 
- ("minimum wage" OR "wage floor") AND (employment OR jobs)
- ("minimum wage") AND ("difference-in-differences" OR "DiD")

**Inclusion criteria:**
- Peer-reviewed or NBER working papers
- Focused on [specific outcome]
- Uses causal identification strategy

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## Seminal Papers