Writing a Literature Review for Research

How to write a literature review by considering primary and secondary sources and how to organize your paper

1. LITERATURE
REVIEW

2. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
What is a Literature Review?
■A systematic survey, study and
interpretation of the published work
related to a particular topic.
■This involves a critical review of prior
work done in the particular area of
interest. This body of previous work is
referred to as the literature.

3. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
■A Literature Review involves reviewing & critiquing
previous work done in the area. It may include:
- Critical discussion of the theoretical grounding (basic
theoretical knowledge) of the study - how others have
defined the problem and related concepts
- An exploration of previous research done in the area
– findings and conclusions of prior work
■Only relevant, credible sources should be cited -
opinionated, unsubstantiated sources should be
avoided.

4. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
■Credible sources are ones the reader can trust. We trust
that the author’s ideas are his or her own and can be
backed up with evidence.
■When writing a research paper, doing research, or
reading for background information, writers should
ALWAYS use a credible source.
■Citing non-credible sources can damage a writer’s
relationship with his or her readers. Keep in mind that the
definition of a credible source depends on the audience,
the topic, and the discipline.
Credible Vs. Non Credible Sources

5. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Credible Non Credible
■Journals by authors respected
and well known in their specific
fields
■Websites from credible
institutions like Mayo Clinic,
Department of Justice, and
University-affiliated institutions
■Materials published in the last ten
years (when more recent
information is available)
■Websites: The more information
available, the more credible the
website.
■There is a specific author, the
audience is clear, the purpose is
informative not biased, and the
information is regularly updated.
Also look for websites ending
in .edu and .gov.
■Blogs, facebook posts, or other self
authored sites
■Research articles without citations
■Websites with information not from
an author or governmental
department
■Materials published over 15 years ago
or have theories that are clearly out-
ofdate
■Websites: There is not much
information available. If the purpose
is not informative but may have other
motives, like to persuade, the site may
not be credible.
■The website is not regularly updated
or the author is unreliable.

6. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Reference to relevant theories and previous studies
helps:
■when you are describing theoretical constructs and
explaining the phenomenon in which you are interested
■to bring to the fore, ideas about variables that have
proven important or unimportant in a given field of
study.
■to highlight work that has already been done that can
meaningfully inform your own study, and show how
your work will be a logical extension of these efforts;
■to highlight the status of work in the field in terms of
conclusions and potential hypotheses.

7. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Reviewing the Literature
Provides a basis for
gauging the feasibility of pursuing the topic
refining the context of the problem.
examining significance of the study.
determining possible redundancies with regard to the study in
mind.
defining variables and relationships between those that are
chosen for the study.
Provides you with new ideas and approaches to handling
methodological and design issues.
Reveals sources of data you may not have thought about.
introduces you to measurement tools
reveals methods of dealing with problem situations
helps you interpret and make sense of your findings

8. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Where to Find Literature
-Scholarly journals / monographs
-The library’s book collection
-Official statistics – local and international
-Scientific research reports
-Government publications
-The World Wide Web
-Belize Online Library
Link: search.epnet.com/Login.asp
Username: belizelibrary
Password: password 

9. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Searching for Literature
■Select works that are relevant to your topic.
■Record all basic information as you read each
source (write annotations).
■Keep full bibliographic information on each
source.
■Identify strategies for obtaining additional
sources not available in library or online.

10. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
#Name of
Research
Date Author/s Journal
Title
Summary of
Findings
1
   
2
         
3
         
4
         
5
         
Research Topic of Interest: _____________________
Name of Students: _____________________________
5 Research Studies Conducted Related to Topic:
Literature Review Matrix

11. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Searching for Literature
Identify the key search concepts and terms before
beginning your search
Make use of Indexes, Abstracts, and Other General
References found in your institution’s library.

Use electronic search tools – Today, most libraries have
access to online databases and academic journals.
Carry out your search systematically – and keep
records of where you looked and what you found.
This way, you will avoid duplication of efforts.

12. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Some Pointers for Writing your Literature
Review
• Aim for critical discussion of issues relevant to your
study
•Make every effort to find the original sources of
information rather than using secondary sources (the
works of other people who cited the text).
•Avoid using large chunks of text taken as direct quotes.
Try to paraphrase the ideas in the text. ALWAYS
identify the sources of your information.
•DO NOT “copy and paste” chunks of text from online
sources. Worse yet, DO NOT “copy and paste” chunks
of text from online documents and then neglect to cite
the source. PLAGIARISM is frowned on!
•Become familiar with the referencing style acceptable
to your department, and use it consistently. There are
manuals and other documents with guideline for the
various styles.

13. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Plagiaris
m
Can put you in the
doghouse!
Cite your sources!
Even when you put the
ideas in your own words!

14. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
Assignment
Bring research articles to class
related to your topic to
analyze and cite using APA
format

15. Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009)
  Answer the following questions based on your research article. (20 pts.)
1.Name the title of the study, author(s) and journal from which it was taken.
Title:_____ Author(s) :______Journal: ________ (3pts.)
2. Identify the purpose/aim of the study and the hypothesis. (3pts.)
Purpose/Aim: ___________Hypothesis: _____________
3. Describe the participants and the setting (where the study took place)? (3pts.)
Participants:____________Setting: _________________
4. Identify the research design used? Is the study qualitative or quantitative?
Explain the reason for your choice. (2pts.) ____________________________
5. How was the data collected? (2pts.)___________________________
6. Identify at least 2 findings that resulted from the study. (4pts.) ______
7. Identify one implication of the study as well as one area of weakness that the
researchers discussed. (3pts.)
 Implication:_________ 
Weakness_______________
Article Examination Assignment