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How to Do a Literature Review: Resources
- Introduction
- Where to Begin
- Organization & Writing
Video Tutorials
Sample Papers
- Sample APA Literature Review Contains explanations and tips. From the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
- Example APA Paper from Purdue OWL Example of an APA communications paper with a literature review inside it. From the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
Online Resources
- PDF Literature Review Guide A succinct guide to literature reviews, including a short sample of a literature review.
- Writing a Literature Review A basic guide to writing a literature review. From the University of Guelph.
- Literature Reviews Very detailed guide to writing literature reviews. From the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Literature Review Tutorial From American University.
- Why is Writing a Literature Review so Hard?
- Literature Reviews: OWL Purdue Graduate Workshop
- Social Work Literature Review Guidelines: OWL Purdue Writing Lab
Books and Ebooks
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- Last Updated: Mar 4, 2021 10:44 AM
- URL: https://libguides.mcny.edu/literaturereview
Ask a Librarian
- Clarify Your Topic
- Research Your Topic
- Write Your Review
- Citing Your Sources
- Other Guides and Resources
- University of Washington Libraries
- Library Guides
- Literature Reviews
Literature Reviews: Write Your Review
Critical analysis.
A critical analysis of your sources is key to creating a quality literature review, and keeping your research question in mind as you read the literature will ensure that you are on track.
- As you read, ask yourself "Why is my topic important?" You must evaluate and interpret the information to discover your own point of view.
Reading and Evaluating Scholarly Literature (Oregon State University)
Evaluating Resources (University of Southern California)
Critically Analyzing Information Sources (Cornell University Library)
Literature Review Model
- What Constitutes a Good Literature Review and Why Does its Quality Matter? A discussion of the state of literature reviews found in scholarly journals. The author discusses the need for clear identification of the "problem domain" or scope of a topic, and the critical need for "identifying and articulating knowledge gaps" in literature reviews. more... less... Maier, H. R. (May 01, 2013). What constitutes a good literature review and why does its quality matter?. Environmental Modelling & Software, 43, 3-4.
Once you identify your topic, check for existing literature reviews in your area of interest that can be used as models.
- Search UW Libraries Catalog using your search terms in conjunction with "literature review" or "methods" or "research" or "bibliography".
What Does a Literature Review Look Like?
This sample literature review from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL), provides an example in the field of psychology.
Structure of a Literature Review
A literature review has a format similar to other scholarly papers. It contains an introduction, body and conclusion, but is focused exclusively on the research of others.
The Basics of a Literature Review. (2014). Teaching and Learning Center University of Washington Tacoma. Retrieved from https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/2021-05/basics-of-lit-review1.pdf
Guidelines for Writing Your Literature Review
The creation of a literature review involves reading articles , processing the information from the articles, and integrating that information in the larger context of the review
The Basics of a Literature Review. (2014). Teaching and Learning Center University of Washington Tacoma. Retrieved from https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/2021-05/basics-of-lit-review1.pdf
Types of Source Materials
Primary Resources - These resources are the basic building blocks for the other types of resources. They include empirical research , firsthand accounts of events and other original materials .
Secondary Resources - These are resources that analyze or interpret primary and other secondary resources .
Tertiary Resources - These include encyclopedias, textbooks, dictionaries, handbooks, and indexes. They provide a summary and definitions of topics and are an effective and efficient way to begin to build your project.
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- Last Updated: Mar 2, 2023 3:02 PM
- URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/tacoma/literaturereview
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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 .
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.
Steps to Completing a Literature Review
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Handouts and hyperlinks.
Sometimes, you just need a quick reference guide. The following documents and links serve that purpose—for a variety of topics. Save them, print them, share them—we’ve put them together to help you whenever and wherever you are.
If you’d like to recommend additional handout topics, please email us at [email protected] .
The following handouts should be used only as general guidelines; please use your professor or departmental guidelines when they conflict with those used on these references.
Academic Writing
Use these guides to build up your writing:
- Analyzing Your Assignment
- Analysis vs. Synthesis
- Annotating a Text
- Audience Analysis
- Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test
- Guide to Writing In-Class Essay Exams
- Guidelines for an Annotated Bibliography
- How to Organize an Academic Paper
- How to Write an Analysis
- How to Write a Literature Review
- How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis
- How to Write a Summary
- How to Write a Synthesis
- How to Write a Thesis Statement
- Key Strategies for Effective Revision
- Tips for Writing College Papers
Grammar and Usage
Grammar can be confusing; use these handouts as a guide:
- Colons, Semicolons, and Dashes
- Combining Clauses
- Formatting Microsoft Word Documents
- Signal Verbs and Phrases
- Transitions
Helpful Links
These additional links can help with other writing and style questions you may have:
- The Draft, the PFW Writing Center Blog
- Ask a Librarian and Schedule an Appointment with a PFW Librarian
- Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab)
- Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
- APA Style.org
- International Writing Centers Association
- East Central Writing Centers Association
- Judging Sources: Is Your Journal Scholarly?
- Judging Sources: Is Your Book Scholarly?
Sources and Citations
The Writing Center recommends using the Purdue Online Writing Lab or the style organization's website for the most up-to-date information on citations and formatting. If you need assistance with Purdue OWL, please visit the Writing Center during our business hours. Please note, though we are a Purdue University campus, we have no control or impact on the content of the Purdue OWL. It’s run entirely through the Purdue West Lafayette campus, with a separate staff.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab
- Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 7:36 PM
- URL: https://library.pfw.edu/writing
Research Methods and Design
- Action Research
- Case Study Design
Literature Review
- Quantitative Research Methods
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Mixed Methods Study
- Indigenous Research and Ethics This link opens in a new window
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- Research Ethics and Quality
- Data Literacy
- Get Help with Writing Assignments
A literature review is a discussion of the literature (aka. the "research" or "scholarship") surrounding a certain topic. A good literature review doesn't simply summarize the existing material, but provides thoughtful synthesis and analysis. The purpose of a literature review is to orient your own work within an existing body of knowledge. A literature review may be written as a standalone piece or be included in a larger body of work.
You can read more about literature reviews, what they entail, and how to write one, using the resources below.
Am I the only one struggling to write a literature review?
Dr. Zina O'Leary explains the misconceptions and struggles students often have with writing a literature review. She also provides step-by-step guidance on writing a persuasive literature review.
An Introduction to Literature Reviews
Dr. Eric Jensen, Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, and Dr. Charles Laurie, Director of Research at Verisk Maplecroft, explain how to write a literature review, and why researchers need to do so. Literature reviews can be stand-alone research or part of a larger project. They communicate the state of academic knowledge on a given topic, specifically detailing what is still unknown.
This is the first video in a whole series about literature reviews. You can find the rest of the series in our SAGE database, Research Methods:
Videos covering research methods and statistics
Identify Themes and Gaps in Literature (with real examples) | Scribbr
Finding connections between sources is key to organizing the arguments and structure of a good literature review. In this video, you'll learn how to identify themes, debates, and gaps between sources, using examples from real papers.
4 Tips for Writing a Literature Review's Intro, Body, and Conclusion | Scribbr
While each review will be unique in its structure--based on both the existing body of both literature and the overall goals of your own paper, dissertation, or research--this video from Scribbr does a good job simplifying the goals of writing a literature review for those who are new to the process. In this video, you’ll learn what to include in each section, as well as 4 tips for the main body illustrated with an example.
- Literature Review This chapter in SAGE's Encyclopedia of Research Design describes the types of literature reviews and scientific standards for conducting literature reviews.
- UNC Writing Center: Literature Reviews This handout from the Writing Center at UNC will explain what literature reviews are and offer insights into the form and construction of literature reviews in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
- Purdue OWL: Writing a Literature Review The overview of literature reviews comes from Purdue's Online Writing Lab. It explains the basic why, what, and how of writing a literature review.
Organizational Tools for Literature Reviews
One of the most daunting aspects of writing a literature review is organizing your research. There are a variety of strategies that you can use to help you in this task. We've highlighted just a few ways writers keep track of all that information! You can use a combination of these tools or come up with your own organizational process. The key is choosing something that works with your own learning style.
Citation Managers
Citation managers are great tools, in general, for organizing research, but can be especially helpful when writing a literature review. You can keep all of your research in one place, take notes, and organize your materials into different folders or categories. Read more about citations managers here:
- Manage Citations & Sources
Concept Mapping
Some writers use concept mapping (sometimes called flow or bubble charts or "mind maps") to help them visualize the ways in which the research they found connects.
There is no right or wrong way to make a concept map. There are a variety of online tools that can help you create a concept map or you can simply put pen to paper. To read more about concept mapping, take a look at the following help guides:
- Using Concept Maps From Williams College's guide, Literature Review: A Self-guided Tutorial
Synthesis Matrix
A synthesis matrix is is a chart you can use to help you organize your research into thematic categories. By organizing your research into a matrix, like the examples below, can help you visualize the ways in which your sources connect.
- Walden University Writing Center: Literature Review Matrix Find a variety of literature review matrix examples and templates from Walden University.
- Writing A Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix An example synthesis matrix created by NC State University Writing and Speaking Tutorial Service Tutors. If you would like a copy of this synthesis matrix in a different format, like a Word document, please ask a librarian. CC-BY-SA 3.0
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What is a literature review?
A literature review is a discussion of previously published information on a particular topic, providing summary and connections to help readers understand the research that has been completed on a subject and why it is important. Unlike a research paper, a literature review does not develop a new argument, instead focusing on what has been argued or proven in past papers. However, a literature review should not just be an annotated bibliography that lists the sources found; the literature review should be organized thematically as a cohesive paper.
Why write a literature review?
Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research paper’s investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers.
Who writes literature reviews?
Literature reviews are sometimes written in the humanities, but more often in the sciences and social sciences. In scientific reports and longer papers, they constitute one section of the work. Literature reviews can also be written as stand-alone papers.
How Should I Organize My Literature Review?
Here are some ways to organize a literature review from Purdue OWL:
- Chronological: The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.
- Thematic: If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
- Methodological: If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods, you can compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example: Qualitative versus quantitative research, empirical versus theoretical scholarship, divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources.
- Theoretical: In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.
Outline Your Literature Review's Structure
How to Write a Literature Review
Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students
Writing the Literature Review
Find a focus Just like a term paper, a literature review is organized around ideas, not just sources. Use the research question you developed in planning your review and the issues or themes that connect your sources together to create a thesis statement. Yes, literature reviews have thesis statements! But your literature review thesis statement will be presenting a perspective on the material, rather than arguing for a position or opinion. For example:
The current trend in treatment for congestive heart failure combines surgery and medicine.
More and more cultural studies scholars are accepting popular media as a subject worthy of academic consideration.
Consider organization Once you have your thesis statement, you will need to think about the best way to effectively organize the information you have in your review. Like most academic papers, literature reviews should have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Use evidence and be selective When making your points in your literature review, you should refer to several sources as evidence, just like in any academic paper. Your interpretation of the available information must be backed up with evidence to show that your ideas are valid. You also need to be selective about the information you choose to include in your review. Select only the most important points in each source, making sure everything you mention relates to the review's focus.
Summarize and synthesize Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources in each paragraph as well as throughout the review. You should not be doing in-depth analysis in your review, so keep your use of quotes to a minimum. A literature review is not just a summary of current sources; you should be keeping your own voice and saying something new about the collection of sources you have put together.
Revise, revise, revise When you have finished writing the literature review, you still have one final step! Spending a lot of time revising is important to make sure you have presented your information in the best way possible. Check your review to see if it follows the assignment instructions and/or your outline. Rewrite or rework your language to be more concise and double check that you have documented your sources and formatted your review appropriately.
The Literature Review Model
Machi, Lawrence A, and Brenda T McEvoy. The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success. 2Nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, 2012.
What the Literature Review IS and ISN'T:
Need assistance with writing? 24/7 help available
Literature Review Sample Paper
- Literature Review Sample 1
- Literature Review Sample 2
- Literature Review Sample 3
Literature Review Tips
- Taking Notes For The Literature Review
- The Art of Scan Reading
- UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Guide for Literature Reviews
- Literature Review Guidelines from Purdue OWL
Organizing Your Review
As you read and evaluate your literature there are several different ways to organize your research . Courtesy of Dr. Gary Burkholder in the School of Psychology, these sample matrices are one option to help organize your articles. These documents allow you to compile details about your sources, such as the foundational theories, methodologies, and conclusions; begin to note similarities among the authors; and retrieve citation information for easy insertion within a document.
- Literature Review Matrix 1
- Literature Review Matrix 2
- Spreadsheet Style
How to Create a Literature Matrix using Excel
Synthesis for Literature Reviews
Developing a Research Question
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Literature Reviews
- "The Literature Review," in Destination Dissertation
- Literature Review Tutorial [PPT], BU Alumni Medical Library
- Literature Reviews (Bowie State University)
- Literature Reviews (University of the Pacific)
- Literature Reviews: Introduction (Georgia State University)
- Literature Review (UConn Libraries)
- Six Steps to Writing a Literature Review
- The Literature Review (University of Toronto)
Annotated Bibliographies
- Annotated Bibliography (University of South Carolina Upstate)
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- What are Articles?
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What is a Literature Review?
Literature review video.
- Where to Search for Articles?
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In Research Articles
What is a literature review? Rather than describing original research results, literature reviews summarize the research on a particular topic by synthesizing information from many primary sources.
Why should I read literature reviews? Review articles can be helpful for gathering background information and identifying key articles in a particular field.
How can I find a literature review? Many library databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, allow you to filter search results to include only "review articles" or "literature reviews."
For Class Assignments
In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research.
Source: The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue. (n/a). What is a literature review? Purdue University. Writing a Literature Review // Purdue Writing Lab
- Writing a Literature Review - Purdue OWL A great place to learn more about Literature Reviews to help you write a literature. Consult Purdue OWL.
To better understand what is a literature review, watch the video from the NC State University Libraries.
Watch Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students 00:09:37
Source: NC State University Libraries(n.a.) Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students . Retrieved from https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/lit-review
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Introduction to Scholarly Communication
- Citation Management
- Name Authority
- Scholarly Communication Cycle
- Staying Current
- Literature Review
- Open Access
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- Identifying Grants
- Graduate Research Information Portal This link opens in a new window
Subject Guide
Action Items
Download citations to citation management software.
Literature Review Help Sites
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- University of Toronto
Literature Reviews
A good literature review finds relevant academic literature and places it in a context that supports future research. In other words, what background does the audience need to know in order to understand the innovation that you are presenting in your thesis or article?
Reed, L. (1998). Performing a Literature Review. 1 998 Frontiers in Engineering Conference . IEEE: Tempe, AZ. Available online .
Tips for a Successful Literature Review
- Historical articles sometimes needed
- Use EI Engineering Village or other abstract database for historical literature
- Keywords - use to focus search on your topic
- Subject Descriptors - match your keywords to these to maximize efficient searching
- Download citations to citation management software to track where you have been
Purdue AllSearch
Start at http://www.lib.purdue.edu . Click Search All. (Link opens a new window.)
- Google type search interface with facets to narrow search.
- Provides extensive, broad searching across disciplines.
- Includes everything owned by Purdue plus many things we do not.
- Serendipitous searching.
- A good first place to start.
- The place to find books.
- The place to find print editions of magazine articles.
How to Use Databases
- Provides in-depth, efficient , subject specific searching.
- Includes academic, scholarly journals , some of which Purdue does not subscribe to.
- Results are highly targeted to discipline.
- A good place to continue a search after you have figured out useful keywords.
- A good place to go when you want a quick , accurate search.
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Education Research Guide: How to Write a Literature Review
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Literature Reviews Explained
Use the articles below to learn about:
- what a literature review is
- how to select and research a topic
- how to write a literature review
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The Writing Center: Literature Reviews
- OWL (Purdue University Online Writing Lab): Using APA to format your Literature Review
Synthesizing Explained
Synthesizing is a method of analyzing the main ideas and important information from your sources as you read and prepare to write a literature review. Review the resources below for sample synthesizing methods. Both examples have tables you can fill out as you read articles to help you organize your thoughts.
- Writing a Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix: NC University Tutorial Center
- Matrix Example from the University of West Florida Libraries
- Synthesizing Cornelsen This article is included in "Writing a Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix" to illustrate synthesizing articles in the sample matrix.
- Synthesizing: Bruley This article is included in "Writing a Literature Review and Using a Synthesis Matrix" to illustrate synthesizing articles in the sample matrix.
Sample Literature Reviews
Make sure you follow any instructions from you professor on how to format your literature review! Use the examples below to get ideas for how you might write about the sources you found in your research.
- Literature Review 1
- Literature Review 2
- Literature Review 3
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IMAGES
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A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis).The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays).
The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.
Learn the basics of a literature review from Purdue Owl's Writing a Literature Review; Want to learn about the different types of literature reviews, check out Review: Outline, Strategies, and Examples; by Study Corgi; Examples. To read example literature reviews: 1. Purdue Owl gives this example using APA. 2.
From the Purdue Online Writing Lab. Example APA Paper from Purdue OWL. ... Social Work Literature Review Guidelines: OWL Purdue Writing Lab. Books and Ebooks. Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care by Aveyard. Call Number: Ebook. ISBN: 9780335238866. Publication Date: 2010-01-05.
Guidelines for Writing Your Literature Review. The creation of a literature review involves reading articles, processing the information from the articles, and integrating that information in the larger context of the review. The Basics of a Literature Review. (2014). Teaching and Learning Center University of Washington Tacoma.
Steps to Completing a Literature Review. Find. Conduct searches for relevant information. Evaluate. Critically review your sources. Summarize. Determine the most important and relevant information from each source, theories, findings, etc. Synthesize. Create a synthesis matrix to find connections between resources, and ensure your sources ...
The Writing Center recommends using the Purdue Online Writing Lab or the style organization's website for the most up-to-date information on citations and formatting. If you need assistance with Purdue OWL, please visit the Writing Center during our business hours. Please note, though we are a Purdue University campus, we have no control or ...
This book is a step-by-step guide to writing a literature review, and includes tips for modifying the process as needed depending on your audience, purpose, and goals. ... Purdue OWL: Writing a Literature Review. The overview of literature reviews comes from Purdue's Online Writing Lab. It explains the basic why, what, and how of writing a ...
Here are some ways to organize a literature review from Purdue OWL: Chronological: The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field).If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.
This handout will focus on defining what a literature review is, how to organize and synthesize information, and what the different parts of a literature review are. Writing a Literature Review (Purdue OWL) A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation ...
For Class Assignments. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they're interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and ...
A good literature review finds relevant academic literature and places it in a context that supports future research. In other words, what background does the audience need to know in order to understand the innovation that you are presenting in your thesis or article? Reed, L. (1998).
OWL (Purdue University Online Writing Lab): Using APA to format your Literature Review Synthesizing Explained Synthesizing is a method of analyzing the main ideas and important information from your sources as you read and prepare to write a literature review.
The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say "literature review" or refer to "the literature," we are talking about the research (scholarship) in a given field. You will often see the terms "the research," "the ...
Literature Reviews. The literature of a literature review is not made up of novels and short stories and poetry—but is the collection of writing and research that has been produced on a particular topic. The purpose of the literature review is to give you an overview of a particular topic. Your job is to discover the research that has been ...