Write a Literature Review
Lit Review How-To Books
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Conducting Research Literature ReviewsCall Number: MSE C Level Q180.55.M4 F56 2010 c. 1Also available at SAIS -
Designing and Managing a Research ProjectCall Number: MSE B Level HD30.4 .P65 2011 c. 1 -
Research ProposalsCall Number: ebook -
Systematic Reviews in the Social SciencesCall Number: MSE B Level H62.P457 2006 c. 1 -
Writing Literature ReviewsCall Number: MSE B Level H61.8.G34 2009 QUARTO c. 1
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Steps to Completing a Literature Review
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FindConduct searches for relevant information. -
EvaluateCritically review your sources. -
SummarizeDetermine the most important and relevant information from each source, theories, findings, etc. -
SynthesizeCreate a synthesis matrix to find connections between resources, and ensure your sources relate to your main ideas. -
IntegrateUse the synthesis matrix to organize your literature review. Integrate the individual main ideas to put together the state of knowledge related to your topic.
Introduction to Lit Reviews
A literature review is a summary and evaluation of significant research on a particular subject. Lit reviews are often at the beginning of a larger research article, to introduce a topic and provide its history and development, but they could also stand on their own as separate publications.
Purpose of Lit Reviews:
- Provide context for a research paper
- Explore the history and development of a topic
- Examine the scholarly conversation surrounding the topic
- Shows relationships between studies
- Examines gaps in research on the topic
Lit reviews are not simply summaries of the different articles written on a topic. They should take a critical eye to published research to provide insight on the topic.
What counts as "literature"?
"Literature" covers everything relevant that is written on a topic: books, journal articles, newspaper articles, historical records, government reports, theses and dissertations, etc. However, your professor may have specific guidelines as to what type of materials you may include.
A literature review follows a different style, format and structure from a research article.
| Lit Review Article | Research Article | |
| Describes what? | Reports on the work of others. | Reports on the authors' 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. |