(1) Select a Topic
Choose a topic that is current. Browse and search recent journals, books, and textbooks to ensure that the topic is prevalent, exists within the current literature and is not obsolete. Formulate a specific thesis statement or a research question that will be defined.
(2) Collect articles or documents
Choose a subject appropriate database. Be sure to select the peer reviewed, professional, or scholarly option. Come see one of the reference librarians if you're having difficulty finding sources.
(3) Read your articles or documents
Read with the following in mind:
- Has the author formulated a thesis or theory?
- Is the thesis/theory clearly established in terms of scope and relevance?
- Is the author’s research orientation interpretive, critical, evaluative?
- Is a review of the literature included? (if so, chase those citations!)
- In what ways does the document contribute to the understanding of your topic?
- What are each articles' limitations and strengths?
(4) Write your lit review!
In the Introduction
- Identify overall trends in what has been published on the topic. Identify conflicts in theory, evidence, interpretation, and conclusions; gaps in research; and new perspectives on the topic.
- State the reason for reviewing the literature; explain the criteria to be used in analyzing and comparing the research articles; explain why certain literature is or is not included.
In the Body
- Describe the articles or documents in detail.
- Group articles together according to types, such as comparative studies, reviews, or close readings; according to the conclusions of the authors; or according to the specific purposes or objectives of each document.
- Compare and evaluate the articles or documents.
In the Conclusion
- Summarize the major contributions of the significant articles or documents to the topic under review.
- Evaluate the current state of the research for the topic under review. Explain inconsistencies in theory or conclusions, gaps in research, and point out issues that need to be studied further.
- Provide insight into the relationship between the topic under review and the larger discipline or genre of which it is a part. Provide implications of the studies or documents discussed for the discipline at large.
