Well, in this case, there are two reasons. 1. they are hidden for various reasons 2. The outcome of the idea was a failure. One idea of searching these kind of data is through seeking the results, i.e once you derive a result from your hypothesis, you will have to check whether these pattern of results are established already. Second one will be through Ancient Scientific methods. And if you are finding the one which is not there guess you should change your title from HOD to Scientist.

Thank you Peter Aburvan. Both reasons that you have provided here sound an insightsful for a researcher. Searching for relevant literature using the pattern of results derived from hypothesis seems another bright idea. Thank you.

Let me try this.

I think it means you're lucky: you find your own investigation domain. It also mean you have to seriously write about it. It's a duty, as far you were the only one to spot it.

In my Topography and General History of Algiers and his author Antonio Manutius, even being from one of the richest and most famous Venice families, there's almost no literature at all about him. But he was an author and a publisher, maybe the best in Europe, the inventor of arobase typographic sign and the contents page, among others. So I based my investigation on a very close reading of his texts, that all reveal far more than what is simply printed. I had to invent a new way of investigation as far it was zero literature and I'm so glad about it, because it allowed me to understand further the text. The key is being creative. Of course, scholars won't agree. But that's your investigation.

Thank you Fred Romano. In your response , I find something more than the actual answer of my question i.e motivation and confidence. I think , I am really lucky. Let me try your way: basing on my own investigation.

Really beautiful idea.

Thank you once again.

In case you need a review, I'm curious about your investigation... ;-)

You can extend your search options to include more key words to ensure that you have absolutely captured any hidden but somewhat related literature. If this search proves futile, assume for the moment that there is no prior work and proceed with your work. When you are done with the research work, do the literature search again and if nothing else shows up publish your paper. In the citations list any conversations or correspondence that you had with any experts under Private communications

at least closest literature should be assessed

Assesing some literature likely available and closest to the cirrent stidy makes a sense, but still in some cases single literature might not be available.

You can proceed forward with your research and later on check again if something has been published.

no research without literature review because you have to identify your contribution through literature review , you to explain how you will add and what will you —a matter that distinguishes you from others

The point of your thesis is to come up with something new and it seems that you have an ideal opportunity to do that. When there is plenty of previous literature the temptation can be to synthesise what others have written and struggle to come up with an original contribution. Have you spoken to your supervisor who might know the field better than you and can suggest something you have missed? Good luck. Original ideas are prized and sought after.

Being the first person to study a subject is an enviable position. You will be the point of reference for all future work. It forces you to use your imagination instead of tediously summarizing the literature before you begin..

The literature review surveys relevant existing literature, and it part of the process of identifying a research gap. This gap helps in the conducting of field research to identify a novel relevant matter. Being the first to identify such a knowledge gap is a huge contribution to the field.

Many of the subjects I work on are very thin on pre-existing research. Even where there is work, as a practitioner I find most work of little relevance. It is here that one can actually be a pioneer, leader & torchbearer & be useful in the academic world by laying the path to new vistas of knowledge.

Today everything can be reproduced, not least the text of a book.

That is basic research, meaning that is totally new, no experiment has been done on that product. that is subject for trial and error since no available information regarding that initiative. meaning you are making or discovering something purposely to be useful for inclusive development of the society, economy and environment. The trial and error experiment until it is successfully done will become a new product and will constitute a new article which eventually becomes a new related literature for those researchers that will investigate your invention or discoveries...

Thank you friends for your valuable responses , worth noting.

While it is possible for literature on a particular topic of research to be scarce or even unavailable, I would like to suggest that literature that is almost relevant could be reviewed. The unavailability of prefect relevant literature should not be a yardstick for failing to review literature. How will readers know that actually, relevant literature is not available? It is when your review shows sequence of works carried out in the area and where the works end ( maybe close to what you need, but never what you need). Then, your work comes in uniquely.

If you find difficulties and feel the issue you are going to work on has not been studied yet, then welcome. Dare to be a pioneer. However, to show your readers that there was zero literature to review, you can review some most relevance literature.

It is true that for many areas of research - not least in historical research on contemporary history, which I am concerned with - there is next to no literature. Many sources are no longer accessible due to destruction. Now there are two ways to act as a researcher: You have to decide whether you want to work in this uncertain research area or answer another question about which we are better oriented (without the existing sources having already been dealt with in a monograph). If you have the courage to take the first mentioned path, you will sometimes discover that there are a few sources that you didn't know about before. But because historical processing is very dependent on existing or to be developed source material, one noticed with some astonishment that one becomes an expert if one has the patience to work in an area that is too tedious and time-consuming for other researchers . Last not least, this is an experience that you can take advantage of when you are emeritus.

In addition to my previous comment: I would like to warn against making the quality of a work and the choice of a topic - with or without existing literature on the topic - an essay or a book - being read and praised by as many as possible. The quality and validity of research work in the historical and cultural field mostly becomes apparent when the value of this work is recognized as fundamental over a longer period of time. Sometimes that takes some years. For this reason, it is questionable to give those research papers a high score in a ranking that is made dependent solely on the number of "likes" and "recommends" - as is customary in science portals. Only time determines what is really good - or a lot worse than initially believed. This corresponds to the view of Wilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911): "What man is, history tells him."

Thank you everyone for generously responding to the question on availability of literature for a research.

It will be a challenge to your imagination and ingenuity.

Is there a way in research to consider the not so relevant literature just for the purposes of demonstrating that one takes note of such literature but argue that such literature is irrelevant in one way or more? In a way showing the gap in research..