This is a difficult one without knowing her research question! However, you could still advise her on the general principles. Your advice will probably include:

• Define the parameters of the research, considering language, subject area, business sector, geographical area, publication period and literature type. Generate search terms using one or a variety of techniques such as reading, brainstorming or relevance trees.

Discuss her ideas as widely as possible, including with her tutor, librarians and you.

• Start the search using tertiary sources to identify relevant secondary literature. She should commence with those tertiary sources that abstract and index academic journal articles and books. At the same time she should obtain relevant literature that has been referenced in articles that she has already read.