This document provides guidance on conducting a literature review. It defines a literature review as a summary and evaluation of significant research on a topic used to introduce and provide historical context for a research paper. The purpose of a literature review is to provide context, explore the development of a topic, examine scholarly conversations, show relationships between studies, and identify gaps in research. Literature can include books, journal articles, reports, theses, and other written works relevant to the topic. The document outlines steps for finding sources, identifying keywords, searching databases and other reliable sources, reading sources, and determining what makes a source "good" for inclusion.

2. Understanding the Lit Review
Steps to creating a Lit Review
Practice
Resources & Q&A

3. What is a literature
review?

4. LITERATURE REVIEW
A summary and evaluation of
significant research on a particular
subject. Lit reviews are often at the
beginning of a larger research article,
to introduce a topic and provide its
history and development.

5. What is the purpose of
a literature review?

6. PURPOSE OF A LIT REVIEW
• Provide context for a research paper
• Explore the history and development of
a topic
• Examine the scholarly conversation
surrounding the topic
• Shows relationships between studies
• Examines gaps in research on the topic

7. PURPOSE OF A LIT REVIEW
A literature review is not simply a
summary of different articles written
on a topic. It should take a critical eye
to published research to provide
insight, and make connections.

8. What counts as
literature?

9. WHAT COUNTS AS LITERATURE?
Everything relevant that is written on a topic*
• books
• journal articles
• newspaper articles
• historical records
• government reports
• theses and dissertations, etc.
*Your professor may have specific guidelines as to what type of materials you may include.

10. STEPS TO THE LITERATURE
REVIEW

13. FIND YOUR SOURCES

14. Research Question
What is the effect of lack of after-school
activities on minority students in urban
schools?

15. Identify the Key Concepts
What is the effect of lack of after-school
activities on minority students in urban
schools?

16. Identify the Key Concepts
What is the effect of lack of after-school
activities on minority students in urban
schools?

17. … and connect your search terms
AND OR

18. After-
school
activities
AND
narrows your search by connecting concepts
Urban
After-school activities AND Urban

19. Urban
AND
After-school activities
Minority
AND
AND
narrows your search by connecting concepts

20. But what if…
…you get too few
results?

21. Identify alternative keywords
• Synonyms or related words
• Medical, legal, scientific alternatives
• Explore Google and Wikipedia
• Ask a friend
• Thesaurus.com

22. OR: Broadens Search By Connecting
Similar Words
Urban
OR
City
OR
Metropolitan
OR
Inner-city

23. After-
school
activities
Urban
OR
City
AND and OR together

24. PRACTICE
Complete 1 and 2

25. Where do you search?

26. WHERE SHOULD YOU SEARCH?
• Research Guide for Education:
guides.library.jhu.edu/education
• Databases used for other assignments
• Sources you know are reliable.

27. PRACTICE
Complete 3
Conduct a Search

28. READ YOUR SOURCES

30. What makes a source
“good”? What clues do
you look for?

31. cc: Valerie Everett - https://www.flickr.com/photos/66742614@N00
QUESTIONS?
emjohns@jhu.edu