During a literature review, what task involves selecting the final set of primary sources?

• A. Choosing the final set of primary sources.
• B. Drafting the abstract.
• C. Calculating p-values.
• D. Conducting a pilot study.

Answer: (A)

In literature reviews, the step that determines what evidence will actually be examined is selecting which studies are included. This involves screening identified sources and applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria to decide which primary sources make up the final set for data extraction and synthesis. This is the task of choosing the final set of primary sources, because it directly defines the scope, relevance, and quality of the review.

Drafting the abstract is about summarizing the goals, methods, and findings of the review or individual studies, not about deciding which sources to include. Calculating p-values is a statistical analysis step, not a literature selection task. Conducting a pilot study is a preliminary test of methods or procedures, not the process of selecting sources for the review.