A literature review in the sciences has nothing to do with novels or American or British Lit. A literature review is a thorough summary of previous research on a topic.
To do a literature review, the researcher (YOU!) will need to find scholarly articles, books, and other sources about a particular topic or research question. Then the researcher summarizes and evaluates the sources to find similarities, differences, overlap of research, as well as holes or room for more research into a topic.
If the researcher was trying to find a topic to research, the literature review would help them find the topic that needs to be explored (or further explored). The literature review also establishes what doesn't need to be further researched and what might even be considered common knowledge in that field (because you see it over and over in the literature).
1. Pick your topic but also be flexible with your keyboards (and maybe even your topic!). Sometimes you have to narrow, or broaden, or tweak to make it researchable.
2. Think in terms of keywords. Here are some examples
3. Read the literature reviews of other research articles and use the bibliographies to find articles that other researchers have used. You should only use sources that you've actually read yourself (not just read ABOUT).
4. Ask your librarians if you have questions. Use the Ask-a-Librarian box or email laura.silva@rccc.edu or laurie.robb@rccc.edu.
The literature review that you write summarizes and explains research that has been done on a particular topic. All of the articles will be on the same topic. You've seen literature reviews in academic articles that are written to show what's already been researched and why the authors choose to do their own research. Since you aren't actually conducting long, extensive research, you are are looking at a body of research and looking for common issues and also the progression of research (more sophisticated, taking new angles, etc.).
The introduction explains the focus and establishes the importance of the subject. It discusses what kind of work has been done on the topic and identifies any controversies within the field or any recent research which has raised questions about earlier assumptions. It may provide background or history. It concludes with a purpose or thesis statement. This statement will sum up and evaluate the state of the art in this field of research.
Often divided by headings/subheadings, the body summarizes and evaluates the current state of knowledge in the field. It notes major themes or topics, the most important trends, and any findings about which researchers agree or disagree.
The conclusion summarizes all the evidence presented and shows its significance. You should suggest any practical applications of the research as well as the implications and possibilities for future research.
You should find a topic that's not too broad or too narrow. For example, developmental disabilities may be too broad but autism may be a better fit.
Write a one or two sentence statement summarizing the conclusion you have reached about the major trends and developments you see in the research that has been done on your subject.
Credo Reference provides the "mind map" for selected topics, showing related terms. Reference sources are more broad than journal articles and will give an overview of a term or topic.
Click on the link above to open the PDF for the SAMPLE Literature Review
For more help finding scholarly journal articles with research, see Find Articles.
For more help with APA references and in-text citations, see APA 7 Citation Help.
