Look for the Same Articles Coming up Repeatedly

 

Examine the articles you have found to be relevant to your topic. If you see the same authors being cited again and again in these articles, then it is a good sign that you have located the key articles on your topic.

For example the article below is cited in several different articles, seeing this citation come up repeatedly tells you that it is a key article.

Warburton DER, Nicol CW, Bredin SSD
Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence 
CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL 174 (6): 801-809 MAR 14 2006


Article 1

Title: Diffusion and dissemination of physical activity recommendations and programs to world populations

Author(s): Buller DB (Buller, David B.)

Source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE 31 (4): S1-S4 Suppl. S, OCT 2006

References

D. Warburton, C.W. Carol and S. Bredin, Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence, CMAJ 174 (2006), pp. 801–809.

Article 2

Paul DR, Kramer M, Moshfegh AJ, et al.
Comparison of two different physical activity monitors 
BMC MEDICAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 7: Art. No. 26 JUN 25 2007

References

Warburton DE, Nicol CW, Bredin SS: Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence, CMAJ 2006, 174(6):801-809.

Article 3

Booth FW, Lees SJ
Fundamental questions about genes, inactivity, and chronic diseases
PHYSIOLOGICAL GENOMICS 28 (2): 146-157 JAN 17 2007

References