Write a Literature Review
Take a step-by-step approach to writing a lit review.
What Will You Do Differently?
Please help your librarians by filling out this two-minute survey of today's class session.
Professor, this one's for you.
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Introduction
Literature reviews take time. Here is some general information to know before you start.
- VIDEO -- This video is a great overview of the entire process. (2020; North Carolina State University Libraries)
--The transcript is included
--This is for everyone; ignore the mention of "graduate students"
--9.5 minutes, and every second is important
- OVERVIEW -- Read this page from Purdue's OWL. It's not long, and gives some tips to fill in what you just learned from the video.
- NOT A RESEARCH ARTICLE -- A literature review follows a different style, format, and structure from a research article.
| Lit Review Article | Research Article | |
| Does What? | Reports on the work of others. | Reports on original research. |
| Purpose | To examine and evaluate previous literature. |
To test a hypothesis and/or make an argument. May include a short literature review to introduce the subject. |