Final answer:
The process of searching databases and sources for prior research on a topic is known as literature review.
Step-by-step explanation:
A comprehensive literature review entails methodically reading published papers, books, and other academic publications that are relevant to the topic of choice. In order to fill in knowledge gaps, advance established theories, and place their own research into the larger framework of scholarly discourse, researchers engage in this process.
Thorough literature reviews aid researchers in creating study topics, hypotheses, and procedures, as well as helping them grasp the present state of knowledge. It is a crucial phase in the research process that helps provide a strong basis for future studies and guarantees that new research builds on previously published academic works.