What is a literature review?

A review of the literature is a compilation of the research that has been published on a topic by recognized scholars and researchers. In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses might be.

A literature review should do the following:

A. Be organized around and related to the research question you are developing.
B. Synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known.
C. Identify gaps or areas of controversy in the literature.
D. Formulate questions that need further research.

Conducting a Review of the Literature:

Step 1. Familiarize yourself with the scholarly journal literature by browsing the Library's E-Journals lists.

Step 2: Identify the keywords and phrases that describe your topic by making a list of possible synonyms.

• Academic Search Premier (Multidisciplinary)
• LexisNexis Academic (Current News)
• Expanded Academic ASAP (Multidisciplinary)
• ERIC (Scholarly and practical education literature)
• Education Full Text(Scholarly education literature)
• Social Sciences Citation Index (Citation tracking)

Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Library databases are different than Web search engines.
2. The information cycle determines where and when certain types of information are published.
3. Most topics are interdisciplinary, so don't limit your search to one field or subject database.
4. Be aware that research is a cyclical, recursive process.