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.
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.