The Literature Review
32 Summary
Key Takeaways
- A literature review is a survey of everything that has been written about a particular topic, theory, or research question. It is focused on the research related to a topic, and the researchers who undertook that research. It is difference from an essay (proves a point) and an annotated bibliography (reference plus short description.
- Acceptable literature review sources include peer reviewed journal articles, edited books, and to a limited degree, professional journals. Professional association websites should be used sparingly and carefully.
- The 5C’s of literature review writing are cite, compare, contrast, critique and connect.
- APA referencing is a set of rules for writing and referencing (citing) your sources.
References
Adjei, J.K. (n.d.). Research methods. Retrieved from https://oer.avu.org/handle/123456789/490
Callahan, J. L. (2014). Writing literature reviews: A reprise and update. Human Resource Development Review, 13(3), 271-275. doi:10.1177/1534484314536705
Palys, T., & Atchison, C. (2014). Research decisions: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Toronto, Canada: Nelson Education Ltd.
Thomas, J. (2012, September 26). Literature review vs. essay. Retrieved from https://blogs.qut.edu.au/library/2012/09/26/literature-review-vs-essay/
Wikipedia. (2018). Edited volume. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edited_volume
