Writing a Literature Review
Consider these questions when reviewing articles and books
· What is the focus of the reading?
· Where applicable, identify the following and sum up in a few words: hypothesis, research question, dependent and independent variables, conclusion, method being used
· Identify the supporting points of the article
o If the author is describing something, what is the key information?
o If the author is making an argument, what supporting facts are given?
· Can you identify holes in the argument or things that don't connect?
· Does the author sufficiently support suppositions with evidence/examples?
· Can you think of examples or instances that contradict the argument being made or evidence given as support?
· Check the bibliography/works cited list--is there anything you can use/follow up on? Any seminal works listed?
· How well does the author connect the literature review of the reading to the project/methods/findings?
In addition to the information in your course syllabus, I have compiled these additional resources. Just remember to follow the instructions in your syllabus, as well as the paper guidelines and formatting standards, as these will always take precedence over whatever information is presented in the linked sites.
This is an excellent guide to writing a literature review. I highly recommend you take a look at it.
Another good site that's not nearly as extensive as the first, but gives some good, succinct, bulleted-points to consider:.
This site offers a few questions to consider when compiling your information:
- Is it a general book or does it deal with a specific issue(s)?
- Is it an empirical report, a theoretical study, a sociological or political account, a historical overview, etc? All or some of these?
- Does it follow a particular school of thought?
- What is its theoretical basis?
- What definitions does it use?
- What is its general methodological approach? What methods are used?
- What kinds of data does it use to back up its argument?
- What conclusions does it come to?
This site reiterates what each section should do. It reflects (with a bit more detail) what I asked you to do for each of the sections of your paper.
Here are three examples of literature reviews. While these do not specifically follow the structure you've been given, they provide examples of how literature is synthesized, compiled, and presented. You'll note that these do not argue a point; they just present what the experts in the field say about the subject matter.