Context and process of systematic literature mapping in Brazilian Graduate Education

We discuss the elements that support systematic literature mapping and the nature and context of systematic literature mapping, emphasizing the specific meaning of the adjective "systematic" as one that corresponds to the adoption of procedures that seek to eliminate biases (i) in the location of references; (ii) selection of significant references; (iii) content of selected references; (iv) extraction of information and understanding from references; and (v) the critical appreciation of the content of references. We also argue that graduate students are responsible for their own systematic mapping and that systematic mapping depends on the attention paid to the panoramic, initial contact with a given field. We detail the five stages of systematic mapping process: (1) searching for references; (2) compiling references and organizing them into a system; (3) filtering/selecting references; (4) reporting the results; (5) controlling the process, presenting each stage in general terms before detailing more pragmatic aspects. Our final remarks address some of the consequences of producing systematic mapping for the practice of scientific research in Brazil.