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Common Assignments: Literature Reviews
Basics of literature reviews.
A literature review is a written approach to examining published information on a particular topic or field. Authors use this review of literature to create a foundation and justification for their research or to demonstrate knowledge on the current state of a field. This review can take the form of a course assignment or a section of a longer capstone project. Read on for more information about writing a strong literature review!
Students often misinterpret the term "literature review" to mean merely a collection of source summaries, similar to annotations or article abstracts. Although summarizing is an element of a literature review, the purpose is to create a comprehensive representation of your understanding of a topic or area of research, such as what has already been done or what has been found. Then, also using these sources, you can demonstrate the need for future research, specifically, your future research.
There is usually no required format or template for a literature review. However, there are some actions to keep in mind when constructing a literature review:
- Include an introduction and conclusion . Even if the literature review will be part of a longer document, introductory and concluding paragraphs can act as bookends to your material. Provide background information for your reader, such as including references to the pioneers in the field in the beginning and offering closure in the end by discussing the implications of future research to the field.
- Avoid direct quotations . Just like in an annotated bibliography, you will want to paraphrase all of the material you present in a literature review. This assignment is a chance for you to demonstrate your knowledge on a topic, and putting ideas into your own words will ensure that you are interpreting the found material for your reader. Paraphrasing will also ensure your review of literature is in your authorial voice.
- Organize by topic or theme rather than by author. When compiling multiple sources, a tendency can be to summarize each source and then compare and contrast the sources at the end. Instead, organize your source information by your identified themes and patterns. This organization helps demonstrate your synthesis of the material and inhibits you from creating a series of book reports.
- Use headings . APA encourages the use of headings within longer pieces of text to display a shift in topic and create a visual break for the reader. Headings in a literature review can also help you as the writer organize your material by theme and note any layers, or subtopics, within the field.
- Show relationships and consider the flow of ideas. A literature review can be lengthy and dense, so you will want to make your text appealing to your reader. Transitions and comparison terms will allow you to demonstrate where authors agree or disagree on a topic and highlight your interpretation of the literature.
Related Multimedia, Social Media, and Other Resources
Randolph, J. J. (2009). A guide to writing the dissertation literature review. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation , 14 (13), 1–13. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1219&context=pare
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Writing a literature review
Tips, help and tutorials to guide your literature review process.
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What is a literature review?
A literature review is a critical evaluation of the research on a particular topic. It is a synthesis of what the existing research on your topic says- your perspective guides how you put that existing research together- the purpose is to identify a gap in in the research in order to identify areas for future research and progress within the topic.
Check out this short video for a more visual explanation of what a literature review is:
These are links to various sources from around the web with information, strategies and tips for writing a literature review.
- North Carolina State University Libraries - Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students Excellent online guide that introduces the basics of conducting a literature review in the social sciences, with a focus on education.
- UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Guide for Literature Reviews This handout from UNC-Chapel Hill Writing Lab offers detailed information and tips for writing a literature review.
- Literature Reviews -- Beware the List Blog post on writing literature reviews from Pat Thomson, Professor of Education in the School of Education, The University of Nottingham.
- Beginning the literature review -- The art of scan reading Part of a blog post series on literature reviews from Pat Thomson.
- Beginning the literature review -- Taking notes Part of a blog post series on literature reviews from Pat Thomson.
- Literature Review Matrix Examples This page from Walden University gives examples of different types of literature review matrices. A matrix can be very helpful in taking notes and preparing sources for your literature review.
There are also two other short videos from the University of Maryland University College which give an introduction to both what a literature review is and isn't, and how to begin your writing process.
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Education professionals expand their knowledge of the dissertation process by reviewing tools, resources, and sample dissertations as they focus on the alignment among the identified problem, purpose, framework, research question(s), and study design. Education professionals use tools, including the appropriate rubrics and checklists, to narrow the focus of their research topic, plan a comprehensive literature review, and begin to develop their prospectus.
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IMAGES
COMMENTS
Literature Review Matrix. 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 ...
Video: How to locate and identify empirical research for your literature review (6 min 16 sec) Recorded May 2020 Transcript . Short Video: Research for the Literature Review (4 min 10 sec) Recorded August 2019 Transcript . ... Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV
And you will be taken to page that features two sample literature review matrices in PDF format. So these are ones that you can't go in and edit yourself but you can see how two different researchers might use a lit review matrix to organize their research. ... And we want to remind you that you can find us on Facebook at our Walden University ...
In a literature review, a writer discusses multiple sources in order to give a foundation for a study or an overview of a specific topic. All doctoral studies and dissertations have a required literature review component, and some course assignments require one as well. View the Writing Center's web resources on how to write literature reviews.
Recording: Will be available online within 24 hours. Interact: Polls, files, and links are interactive. Q&A. Now: Use the Q&A box. Later: Send to [email protected] or visit our Live Office Hours . Help. Ask in the Q&A box. Choose "Help" in the upper right-hand corner of the webinar room. Audio: [Beth] Alright, well, welcome everyone.
This guide includes tips on writing common course assignments. A literature review is a written approach to examining published information on a particular topic or field. Authors use this review of literature to create a foundation and justification for their research or to demonstrate knowledge on the current state of a field.
Visual: Slide changes to the title of the webinar: Writing Literature Reviews in your Graduate Coursework and includes the presenter's name, picture, and role: Claire Helakoski, Writing Instructor, Walden University Writing Center. Audio: As Michael said, I'm Claire Helakoski. I'm a Writing Instructor here at the Walden Writing Center.
Doctoral students with strong research, critical-thinking, and writing skills are better equipped to complete the literature review section of their capstone. This 8-week course focuses on understanding the purpose of the literature review and the foundational skills needed to complete it, such as developing search strategies, synthesizing ...
Students taking this course cover topic selection, research analysis, writing, and editing. Upon completing the course, students produce an annotated bibliography and an outline of a literature review using a minimum of 10 self-selected research articles. This course is appropriate for doctoral students who are preparing for their dissertation ...
A basic guide to the integrative literature review. Originally created for a graduate nursing course I taught. Credit to the Walden University Writing Center...
Steps for Conducting a Lit Review; Finding "The Literature" Organizing/Writing; APA Style This link opens in a new window; Chicago: Notes Bibliography This link opens in a new window; MLA Style This link opens in a new window; Sample Literature Reviews. Sample Lit Reviews from Communication Arts; Have an exemplary literature review? Get Help!
A literature review is a critical evaluation of the research on a particular topic. It is a synthesis of what the existing research on your topic says- your perspective guides how you put that existing research together- the purpose is to identify a gap in in the research in order to identify areas for future research and progress within the ...
Abstract. This literature review matrix was downloaded from https://waldenu.edu/. I have read and implemented the various categories of the literature into the matrix to assist with research on ...
a systematic review of the literature focusing on evidence related to fall prevention. Literature was aligned with the clinical practice question developed for this project. The literature databases searched were the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) (2010-2019), Medline with Full Text (2010-2019), and the
Where can I find a literature review matrix? You can find some example matrices and matrix templates on the Writing Center's website. Matrices help students to organize their information and are helpful tools for note taking and synthesizing.
Education professionals use tools, including the appropriate rubrics and checklists, to narrow the focus of their research topic, plan a comprehensive literature review, and begin to develop their prospectus. Prerequisites. EDDD 8113 or EDDD 8003; RESI 8201; RSCH 8310D or RSCH 8300 or RSCH 8300P or RSCH 8310C (may be taken concurrently)
Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Linda Carrington has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Godwin Igein, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty
The Writing a Literature Review course was designed to help you when you have an approved prospectus and have begun reading articles on your capstone project and want to improve skills in search strategies, synthesis, and organization. NOTE: This course is for Doctoral students only. Cost. Free tuition for current Walden doctoral students.